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�԰�����’s 2018 DeCoursey Lecture will feature Bonnie Bassler, who will be speaking on “Tiny Conspiracies: Cell-to-Cell Communication in Bacteria.” The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Monday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m., at �԰�����’s Laurie Auditorium.  

Bassler's talk focuses on her work studying quorum sensing in bacteria. Bacteria are tiny ancient organisms. Harmful bacteria have the capacity to kill humans, animals, and plants, while beneficial bacteria help keep them alive. How do bacteria do it? They are so small yet they carry out such big jobs. The answer is that bacteria work in groups: They communicate, count their numbers, and act as collectives. This process of cell-to-cell communication in bacteria is called “quorum sensing,” and it allows bacteria to synchronize behavior on a population-wide scale.

Bassler is an American molecular biologist known for her work in quorum sensing in bacteria. She is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and the Squibb Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, where she has taught since 1994.  

Bassler was a member of the National Science Board for six years and was nominated to that position by former President Barack Obama. The board oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF) and prioritizes the nation’s research and educational activities in science, math, and engineering. She is a passionate advocate for diversity in the sciences and is actively involved in and committed to educating lay people in science.