Dictyostelium

Dictyostelium is a genus of cellular slime mold found in soil and other decaying material. It is a unicellular amoeba that can form multi-cellular structures (called fruiting bodies) when nutrients are lacking and swarm in groups of several thousand in search of food. The significance of Dictyostelium lies in the fact that its simple cellular structure, and its ability to differentiate into different cell types and form multicellular structures, make it a highly interesting and valuable model organism for the study of processes related to development and differentiation of cells. Moreover, its ability to form social networks based on the ability of individual cells to sense and respond to their environment has implications in the understanding of complex biological systems. Dictyostelium also has practical application in environmental monitoring for soil, water and air quality, as well as for bioremediation.