ABSTRACT
Cell communication via biochemical signaling is an important feature for information exchange between living organisms. Signaling is carried out using various strategies that are subtly regulated by the bacterial genetic machinery, allowing them to drive, regulate, enhance, or inhibit various processes such as growth, metabolism, cell differentiation, or the establishment and formation of structures such as bacterial biofilms. Cell communication through biochemical signaling is an important feature for the exchange of information between organisms. The signaling mechanism in biofilm formation is the quorum sensing (QS) system, capable of directing this and other key processes that allow microbial survival. QS has intensively been studied by different basic and molecular techniques; however, understanding the interactions within chemical signaling networks is extremely complex and even more so at the level of microbial communities. This requires the application of more advanced techniques to generate a comprehensive picture of the different chemical communication signals between microorganisms, as well as their influence on the formation of advanced structures such as biofilms. Omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and so on) are high-throughput strategies for analyzing the macromolecular components (proteins, mRNA, and metabolites) produced, which participate in chemical communication between microorganisms. This chapter highlights the application and integration of omics sciences in the understanding of chemical communication through mechanisms such as bacterial QS and its influence on biofilm formation.
