The intertwined roles of specialised metabolites within the Bacillus subtilis biofilm.

Bacteria produce specialised metabolites with a range of functions. In this issue of the Journal of Bacteriology Schoenborn et al. study the production and role of secondary metabolites during biofilm development and sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Most metabolites studied are produced during differentiation and six are required for the development of biofilms and/or spores. The authors propose a model for the timing of production and role in differentiation exerted by each secondary metabolite.