Cited by 530Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyMicrobial Community Ecology and Physiology

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Bacteria as Multicellular Organisms

Shapiro, James A.·1988·Scientific American

DOI 10.1038/scientificamerican0688-82

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Background
Self-engineering capabilities of bacteria
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“information and internal assessment of external chemical messages [ 8-13 ].”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
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Background
Studies of Bacterial Branching Growth Using Reaction-Diffusion Models for Colonial DevelopmentPreprint
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Background
Interface growth and pattern formation in bacterial colonies
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Background
Lubricating bacteria model for branching growth of bacterial colonies
Kozlovsky, Y., Cohen, I., Golding, I., & Ben‐Jacob, E. (1999) · Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics · doi:10.1103/physreve.59.7025 · Cited by 143
“Here we present an additional model which specifically includes an evolution equation for the lubricant excreted by the bacteria.”
Background
Vibrio parahaemolyticus scrABC , a Novel Operon Affecting Swarming and Capsular Polysaccharide Regulation
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“A O ] 1 5 N ov 2 00 6”
From snowflake formation to growth of bacterial colonies
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“Shapiro's proposal in 1988 was based largely on observing colony morphogenesis.(44) Bacterial morphogenesis is now considered an adaptive strategy for nearly all bacteria, among them Actinobacteria, Myxococcus and Firmicutes.”
Background
Myxococcus xanthus dif Genes Are Required for Biogenesis of Cell Surface Fibrils Essential for Social Gliding Motility
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“Philosophically, CA are attractive because their large-scale behaviors are completely self-organized rather than arising from responses to externally imposed signals [9, 133].”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
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“In such a perspective, the bacterial colony behaves much like a multi-cellular organism or a social community [23].”
Background
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“B live mainly as single- or multispecies multicellular communities (1, 2), usually assuming the form of surfaceassociated cell assemblages, or biofilms (3–5).”
Background
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“…their communicational networks (peripheral nervous systems) and central computers (central nervous systems); plants at all levels of evolutionary sophistication (nonvascular and vascular forms); and bacterial colonies (reviewed in Camazine et al., 2001; see also Shapiro and Dworkin, 1998).”
Background

Authors: Shapiro, J. A.
Corresponding author: Shapiro, James A.
ORCID: Shapiro, James A.
Venue: Scientific American
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 1988-06
Volume: 258
Issue: 6
Pages: 82-89
ISSN: 0036-8733 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1038/scientificamerican0688-82
OpenAlex: W2037294630
Cited by: 524
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 3 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 21
FWCI: 2.37
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Scientific American (publishedVersion)
Topics: Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Keywords: bacteria, multicellularity, bacterial aggregation, bacterial social behavior, biofilm

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