Global Trends in and Hotspots of Bacterial Quorum Sensing: A Bibliometric Analysis for the Period 2012–2022

Abstract

Background: Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) plays significant roles in various fields. However, a comprehensive understanding of publication trends and research focuses within this domain remains limited. This study aimed to analyze global trends and hotspots of QS through a bibliometric analysis. Methods: The literature collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 2012 to 2022 was retrieved, and then the bibliometric and visualization analyses were conducted using Co-Occurrence 13.4 (COOC), VOSviewer 1.6.19, and Pajek 5.16. Results: A total of 7506 papers were included and analyzed. The results revealed that the number of papers in the field of QS has increased rapidly in the last decade. The United States was the most productive and the most cited. China ranked second in terms of publications. The Chinese Academy of Science and The University of Copenhagen were the most active institutions in the field. Bonnie L. Bassler was the top-ranked author in terms of citations, thereby indicating that she was a leader in terms of academic influence in the area of QS. Further, the analysis of keywords revealed that previous studies focused on the basic mechanism, but recent research focuses on the more profound exploration of signal molecules and information exchange. Quorum quenching (QQ) and quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) provide directions for addressing bacterial resistance and pave the way for the development of new antimicrobial agents, which has become a hotspot and the key direction for future development in microbiological research. Conclusion: Our analysis provides a comprehensive overview of publication trends, research hotspots, and frontiers, which may provide guidelines for future research of QS.