How can bacterial infections be stopped? What about bacterial resistance? To what extent are bacteria "communicating" with one another to overcome our immune systems, chemical cleansers, and antibiotics? Purdue University chemistry professor Herman Sintim—a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer—spoke with American Scientist's managing editor Fenella Saunders about new strategies to curb bacterial infections.

A Storify of the Tweets detailing the discussion is shown below.

New Strategies to Curb Bacterial Infections

To what extent are bacteria communicating with one another to overcome our immune systems, chemical cleansers, and antibiotics? Purdue professor Herman Sintim - a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer - spoke with American Scientist's Fenella Saunders about new strategies to curb bacterial infections.

1. 

   New Strategies to Curb Bacterial Infections 3:30 ET with #Purdue's Herman Sintim  http://bit.ly/1URg8lf  #AmSciGHO pic.twitter.com/gn1At25n7q

   SigmaXiSociety@SigmaXiSociety

   ·

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 15:50:04

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2. 

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   Herman Sintim: Most disease-causing bacteria are susceptible to drugs used against them, but some are not #AmSciGHO  http://bit.ly/1URg8lf 

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:36:24

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3. 

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   Herman Sintim: Bacteria that are resistant to drugs can pass on resistance to other bacteria #AmSciGHO. Watch live  http://bit.ly/1URg8lf 

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:37:10

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4. 

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   Herman Sintim: Some bacteria have resistant genes. Some have random mutations and can become resistant to drugs used against them #AmSciGHO

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:38:34

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5. 

   One of today's #AmSciGHO topics is biofilms. Read more here:  http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/2005/6/biofilms/1 … pic.twitter.com/5s0xOi6Cez

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   ·

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:40:14

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6. 

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   "The more I read about the problem, the more I realized it's a time bomb" --Herman Sintim on the bacteria resistance problem #AmSciGHO

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:41:30

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7. 

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   H. Sintim: Some projections say w/out new drugs, death from antimicrobial resistant bacteria could surpass cancer deaths by 2050 #AmSciGHO

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:44:13

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8. 

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   Herman Sintim: Putting mechanisms in place to develop newer drugs to fight drug-resistant bacteria can help the problem #AmSciGHO

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:45:19

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9. 

   H. Sintim: The misuse of antibiotics has certainly contributed to the [bacterial] resistance phenomenon #AmsciGHO pic.twitter.com/7TxDX7h2E3

   American Scientist@AmSciMag

   ·

   Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:49:13

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10. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: Resistance is an ancient mechanism, but we have helped in propagating the issue of drug-resistant bacteria #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:50:32

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11. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: When bacteria become resistant, non-resistant ones die off so the resistant ones take over the population #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:54:03

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12. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: We learned to live with bacteria and bacteria learned to live with people because different cell types communicate #AmSciGHo

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:56:10

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13. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: To address the drug-resistant bacteria problem, stopping cell-to-cell communication is key. #AmSciGHo

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:57:05

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14. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: Bacteria "talk" to each other and this communication is responsible for the expression of so many toxic genes #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 19:59:55

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15. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim @LifeAtPurdue: Bacteria that adhere to surfaces and form a community are in what's known as a biofilm state. #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:01:53

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16. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim @LifeAtPurdue: When bacteria get in the biofilm state they are 1,000 to 10,000 times more resistant to antibiotics #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:03:38

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17. 

    Victor O. Leshyk@victorleshyk

    Dear All: Wash. Hands. Well. (plain soap works just fine)  https://twitter.com/AmSciMag/status/718167369734991873 …

    @AmSciMag

    ·

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:04:44

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18. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: If we can develop small molecules that block bacteria communication, hopefully toxic genes won't be produced #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:06:38

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19. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: Getting bacteria out of the biofilm state might make bacteria more susceptible to current antibiotics #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:07:53

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20. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: Until recently, we didn't understand what led to bacterial biofilm formation. I'm researching these processes #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:09:51

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21. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim @LifeAtPurdue is researching next-gen antibiotics that won't kill bacteria, but give them a new lifestyle #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:11:36

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22. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim @LifeAtPurdue researches next-gen antibiotics that would change how bacteria attach to surfaces and produce toxins #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:13:11

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23. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: Communication among bacteria is enhanced in a biofilm state. Watch live  http://bit.ly/1URg8lf  #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:14:29

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24. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: When bacteria are in a biofilm state, they coordinate activities like a super organism  http://bit.ly/1URg8lf  #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:15:38

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25. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim @LifeAtPurdue: It's estimated that 80 percent of bacteria form biofilms #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:17:45

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26. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim's web page about chemical biology of bacterial virulence and biofilm formation  http://bit.ly/1WfMXIs  #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:24:35

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27. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: It may be foolish to think blocking quorum sensing in bacteria would stop drug resistance but we hope it reduces it #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:32:15

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28. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: Blocking communication among bacteria won't solve the drug resistance problem because some can't respond to signals #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:34:51

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29. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim: Students, look at your PhD not as a job but as a passion. #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:37:03

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30. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Herman Sintim @LifeAtPurdue to students: If an experiment fails, you have not failed. You have added to #science #AmSciGHO

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:38:19

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31. 

    American Scientist@AmSciMag

    Thanks to @usd Sigma Xi Chapter for supporting #AmSciGHO with @LifeAtPurdue's Herman Sintim. Watch the recording at  http://bit.ly/1URg8lf 

    Thu, Apr 07 2016 20:41:14

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