Bonnie Bassler

Bonnie Bassler is the Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. She is a leading figure in the study of bacterial communication, particularly quorum sensing, which explores how bacteria use chemical signals to coordinate gene expression and behavior at the population level.

Research Interests

• Cell-to-cell communication in bacteria (quorum sensing)
• Regulation of gene expression via environmental cues
• Biofilm morphology, growth, and dispersal mechanisms
• Development of anti-quorum-sensing therapies for pathogens
• Phage-encoded quorum-sensing systems

Scientific Awards & Honors

• National Medal of Science (2025)
• Albany Prize (2023)
• Princess of Asturias Award (2023)
• Canada Gairdner International Award (2023)

Labs & Collaborations

The Bassler Lab employs interdisciplinary approaches—including genetics, biochemistry, structural biology, chemical genetics, and light-sheet microscopy—to unravel the molecular mechanisms of quorum sensing in Vibrio cholerae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Her team investigates biofilm dynamics, phage interactions, and synthetic strategies to engineer phages for controlled bacterial lysis.