Microbial communities stay healthy by swapping knowledge

Biomedical engineers have demonstrated a microbial community phenomenon that essentially equates to teaching neighbors how to complete necessary tasks by ripping out and sharing part of the brain. The process of horizontal gene transfer allows microbiomes to keep themselves and their environments healthy and could help scientists create robust, bespoke microbial systems for applications ranging from cleaning toxins from the environment to producing biofuel and other consumer products.

from Top Technology News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/eOFZBV5