Microbes: Smarter than we think?

PRINCETON, N.J., June 23 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists, for the first time, say they have discovered bacteria do not just react to environmental changes, but can anticipate and prepare for them.

Princeton University Associate Professor Saeed Tavazoie and researchers Ilias Tagkopoulos and Yir-Chung Liu collaborated to challenge the prevailing notion that only organisms with complex nervous systems have this ability.

"What we have found is the first evidence that bacteria can use sensed cues from their environment to infer future events," said Tavazoie.

The research team, which included biologists and engineers, used lab experiments to demonstrate the phenomenon in common bacteria and used computer simulations to explain how a microbe species' internal network of genes and proteins could evolve over time to produce such complex behavior.

The scientists said their findings might have many practical implications. They could help scientists understand how bacteria mutate to develop resistance to antibiotics and they might also help in developing specialized bacteria to perform useful tasks such as cleaning environmental contamination.

The research is detailed in the June 6 issue of the journal Science.