The article discusses research being done on the significance of chitin oligosaccharides (COS) catabolism in the symbiosis of Vibrio fischeri, a bioluminescent symbiont of Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes. It references the article "The chemistry of negotiation: rhythmic glycan-driven acidification in a symbiotic conversation," by J. A. Schwartzman and colleagues in the 2014 issue.