What is wrong with a bacterial cell if it cannot make protein

There are a variety of points in the transcriptional chain at which it is possible to disrupt protein synthesis in bacteria. Let’s enumerate just a few:

In each of these stages (and in some other, more subtle phases) there are possible points of disruption and there are specific disruptors; some of which are indicated in the aboveProtein synthesis inhibitor article.

Note, by the way, that the Ribosomes of Prokaryotes (bacteria) and Eukaryotes (cells with nuclei) aren’t identical, and therefore the inhibitors/disruptors that work for one type of cell may not (and usually don’t) work on the other type. That’s why we can take antibiotics targeted at bacteria with little to no fear of them interfering with our eukaryotic cells’ functions.

(This is a simplified, somewhat hand-wavy response. There is a lot more to say, mainly because biological systems are anything but simple. Nevertheless this should be enough to get you started in the general direction.)

when it is at an intermediate population density