Balasubramaniam, Irish team use internet to study, understand bacterial behavior

As new threats to global environments and health continue to emerge and evolve, developing a better understanding of bacterial species has become more vital than ever.

In a new interdisciplinary partnership – led by Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, associate professor in the School of Computing, and supported in part by a National Science Foundation grant of $399,970 – researchers from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the Tyndall National Institute (TNI) in the Republic of Ireland, and Ulster University (UU) in Northern Ireland will to study microbial communication and activity patterns by connecting living bacteria to its digital twin.

By learning how bacteria communicate as they evolve, scientists will be able to better understand and predict their behavior, ultimately helping them develop appropriate strategies to prevent harmful impact.

"I don't know if it's possible, but in the long run, it could be a lot like us using social media. If bacteria could, they could share their experiences, it goes over the internet, and we can monitor it," Balasubramaniam said.