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Cracking the Code of Bacterial Communication
TEDChris writes "Microbiologist Bonnie Bassler explains her discovery of 'quorum sensing' — the amazing ability of bacteria to communicate with each other and coordinate attack strategies (video). By cracking the communication code, she has opened up potential for a new class of drugs tackling microbial diseases. The talk got a massive standing ovation at this year's TED and has just been posted. To quote one commenter: 'This is by far the most inspiring, amazing, and far-reaching talk I've seen in a very long time.'"
The base layer you're referring to is usually termed a "biofilm", and they are complex, three-dimensional, organized structures of living (and some "hibernating") organisms.
I think the best large-scale analogy to a biofilm would be a rainforest, where there are many levels of depth with complexity that varies depending on where you're looking.
Chemical penetration through that multi-layered structure is extremely complex, and usually substantially slowed. In many cases even potent chemicals such as bleach won't reach the base layers, despite multiple washings with long incubations.
It's not really a problem of being restricted only to "nice" chemicals: we haven't found -any- chemicals that act as a magic bullet. Back when I started research in the field it was thought that quorum sensing might be the cure we were looking for, but it turned out to be much less useful than hoped.
As for the previous comments on Dr. Bassler and her "discoveries", I think people react negatively to exaggerated claims of novelty. If the fault for that those exaggerations lay with TED, then they are being a bit sloppy, but if Bassler herself suggests that she is intellectually dishonest. Her work ~1994 seems to be very highly regarded in establishing the study of quorum sensing, but there are several papers from the years just previous to that which actually discovered it.
based on your comments, you must be taking microbiology 101 right now. you are clearly neither an actual microbiologist nor an immunologist, and it would be best if you don't try to critique things about which you have no clue.
bonnie bassler was one of the discoverers and is a lead researcher of quorum sensing. try a google scholar search for "bassler quorum sensing."
"the whole mechanism of our immune system is based on detecting the harm that pathogens cause". what are you talking about? do you know anything about T cells, B cells, or toll-like receptors? I didn't think so.
given how the immune system actually works, blocking virulence is a legitimate strategy for antibiotics, not least because it could exert less selective pressure on the microbes. while virulence was blocked, your immune system would be able to recognize and eliminate the bacteria.
bonnie bassler doesn't need grant money. she's hhmi (http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/bassler_bio.html) and has a macarthur "genius" fellowship, both of which are essentially blank checks for top-flight researchers. I'm sure you already knew that though.