Implication of Quorum Sensing System in Biofilm Formation and Virulence

This book illustrates the importance and significance of Quorum sensing (QS), it’s critical roles in regulating diverse cellular functions in microbes, including bioluminescence, virulence, pathogenesis, gene expression, biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. Microbes can coordinate population behavior with small molecules called autoinducers (AHL) which serves as a signal of cellular population density, triggering new patterns of gene expression for mounting virulence and pathogenesis. Therefore, these microbes have the competence to coordinate and regulate explicit sets of genes by sensing and communicating amongst themselves utilizing variety of signals. This book descry emphasizes on how bacteria can coordinate an activity and synchronize their response to external signals and regulate gene expression. The chapters of the book provide the recent advancements on various functional aspects of QS systems in different gram positive and gram negative organisms.

Finally, the book also elucidates a comprehensive yet a representative description of a large number of challenges associated with quorum sensing signal molecules viz. virulence, pathogenesis, antibiotic synthesis, biosurfactants production, persister cells, cell signaling and biofilms, intra and inter-species communications, host-pathogen interactions, social interactions & swarming migration in biofilms.

Dr. P.V. Bramha Chari is currently a Faculty and Head of the Department of Biotechnology at Krishna University, India. He has earlier served as Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Bacterial Pathogenesis Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia & Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He has completed his Ph.D. from Goa University, India. His current research work largely focuses on applied research in Microbiology & cell biology; including biochemical mechanism of bacterial EPS in sequestrating heavy metals, stress induced proteins, novel biosurfactant molecules, bacterial-biofilm formations, structure-function relationship of bacterial rhamnolipids. He has published more than 85 research articles in several prestigious peer-reviewed international journals and presented 45 abstracts at various national and international conferences. He has served as a referee for a number of National & International journals. He is a member of many international scientific societies and organizations importantly, Indian science congress, society of biological chemists, India etc. He has been conferred with various prestigious awards notably, DST Young Scientist and nominated as Associate fellow of Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences for the year 2016. He has obtained 2 Indian patents in 2017. He has more than 10 years of teaching and research experience at the University level.