The elusive rhythms of bacterial life

Bacterial rhythms may emerge from interactions within free-living communities.

• Circadian clocks serve as internal timekeeping mechanisms found in various organisms, including bacteria.
• While extensively studied in cyanobacteria, only a few bacterial species have demonstrated clock mechanisms.
• Research indicates that the rhythmic patterns of hosts and their microbial communities influence each other.
• Current studies have largely focused on bacteria in isolation or within specific host-associated environments.
• The hypothesis suggests that rhythmicity could arise from the interactions among bacteria in natural settings.

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