Can we 'woo‘ bacteria into exchanging genetic information? A truly multi-disciplinary team of researchers, including microbiologist (Charles Knapp, Civil Engineering) and musician (Peter Argondizza, HASS), investigate how vibrations can be used to promote bacterial transformation (gene transfer). Super-sonic vibrations can disrupt cellular membranes enough to facilitate the transfer of plasmids and genes; however, they tend to compromise the survival of bacteria. Their group is seeking to "tune" the system to find the optimal "sound" that will allow gene transfer without lethal effects.