Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered that bacteria can store and pass on information about when to form certain strategies that can lead to dangerous infections in humans. This includes resistance to antibiotics and the formation of bacterial swarms. The bacteria, specifically E. coli, use iron levels to store this information and activate behaviors in response to certain stimuli. Bacteria do not have brains, but they can gather information from their environment and store it for future use. The discovery of these iron memories could potentially help prevent and combat bacterial infections and address antibiotic resistance. Iron levels are also a target for therapeutics, as they play a crucial role in bacterial virulence.
https://news.utexas.edu/2023/11/21/bacteria-store-memories-and-pass-them-on-for-generations/