Dr. Bonnie Bassler is a distinguished leader in microbiology whose work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of bacterial communication. She currently serves as the Squibb Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University while holding the prestigious position of Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. After earning her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California at Davis and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University she conducted postdoctoral research in Genetics at the Agouron Institute before joining the Princeton faculty in 1994. Bassler has held significant leadership roles including directing Princeton's Molecular Biology Graduate Program from 2002-2008 and chairing the University's Council on Science and Technology where she revitalized science education for humanities students.
Dr. Bassler's pioneering research has centered on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of quorum sensing the process by which bacteria communicate through chemical signals to coordinate collective behaviors. Her laboratory's groundbreaking work revealed how bacteria use small molecules called autoinducers to sense population density and regulate behaviors including virulence biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. This fundamental research established the foundation for developing novel antimicrobial strategies that disrupt bacterial communication rather than killing pathogens potentially avoiding antibiotic resistance development. Bassler's insights into intra-species inter-species and inter-domain communication have transformed microbiology revealing bacteria not as solitary organisms but as sophisticated social communities that orchestrate complex group behaviors.
Bassler's exceptional contributions have earned her numerous prestigious accolades including the MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 the American Society for Microbiology's Eli Lilly Investigator Award the L'Oreal-UNESCO Award in 2012 and the Princess of Asturias Award in 2023. She has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences the National Academy of Medicine the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society cementing her status as a preeminent scientist. Beyond her research Bassler has served the scientific community as President of the American Society for Microbiology from 2010-2011 and as a member of the National Science Board appointed by President Obama. Her continued work explores the boundaries of bacterial communication while she remains passionately committed to advancing scientific education and promoting diversity in STEM fields.
