| Abstract: | This review concentrates on the history of the subfield of microbiology referred to as the population organization- and communication-related research direction (POCRRD). The focal points of POCRRD include intercellular interactions, information exchange between cells, and multicellular structures (colonies, biofilms, flocs, etc.). Special attention in this review is given to the contribution of Russian scientists to the development of POCRRD. In terms of POCRRD, microorganisms are viewed as social creatures that constantly communicate and form supraorganismic, intrinsically heterogeneous systems. |
