Mapping Half a Century of Quorum Sensing Research in Bioluminescent

A scientometric study has mapped global research trends in quorum sensing in bioluminescent bacteria over nearly five decades, from 1977 to 2025. Published in the Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, the analysis pulled 1,470 original articles from the Scopus database and examined publication growth, citation patterns, collaboration networks, and shifts in research themes using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Quorum sensing is described as how bacteria coordinate group behaviors via small signaling molecules, including the LuxI/LuxR paradigm first supported by density-dependent light production in Aliivibrio fischeri and related species. Output rose from fewer than ten papers annually in early decades to 40–70 in later years, with peaks around 2016 and again near 2020–2021 and 2024. The authors warn indexing delays could explain short-term fluctuations, including a dip seen in 2025 when data were retrieved on June 30, 2026.