Observation of content and heterogeneity of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) in Legionella bozemanii by vibrational spectroscopy
Abstract
Information on how cells respond to their environment, interact with each other, or undergo complex processes such as cellular differentiation or gene expression has been obtained mostly by interference from population-level data. Individual microorganisms, even those on supposedly “clonal” populations, may differ widely from each other in terms of their genetic composition, physiology, biochemistry, or behaviours. This genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity has important practical consequences for a number of relevant interests, including