Bacterial memory could change antibiotic treatment

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University say bacteria can retain information about past environments and use it to change how they respond to new conditions, despite having no brain or nervous system. Researchers found that E. Coli exposed to rapidly changing environments adapted faster than bacteria grown in more stable conditions, suggesting a basic form of memory. Using a device called the 'Mother Machine', the team also found that some of this information can be passed across generations through proteins produced during stress. Researchers now want to investigate whether previous exposure to antibiotics can similarly influence how bacteria respond to treatment in the future, potentially offering new insight into how infections adapt to antibiotics.