Drugs order bacteria to commit suicide

People have a misperception that bacteria are selfish, solitary creatures. In reality, they often live in large colonies and coordinate their activities. When conditions become overcrowded or food scarce, some bacteria may even make the ultimate sacrifice and kill themselves.

New research indicates that many, if not all, known antibiotics exploit this noble behavior.

Elaine Tuomanen of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and her colleagues have identified a suicide program in one bacterium that penicillin and other antibiotics trigger.