Predictive biology is the next great chapter in synthetic and systems biology, particularly for
microorganisms. Tasks that once seemed infeasible are increasingly being realized such as …

Prosocial behavior is ubiquitous in nature despite the relative fitness costs carried by
cooperative individuals. However, the stability of cooperation in populations is fragile and …

While programmed cell death was once thought to be exclusive to eukaryotic cells, there are
now abundant examples of well regulated cell death mechanisms in bacteria. The …

Most bacteria exist and interact within polymicrobial communities. These interactions
produce unique compounds, increase virulence and augment antibiotic resistance. One …

Staphylococcus aureus uses quorum sensing and nutrient availability to control the
expression of agr-regulated virulence factors. Quorum sensing is mediated by autoinducing …

The effect of nutrients on microbial interactions, including competition and collaboration, has
mainly been studied in laboratories, but their potential application to complex ecosystems is …

As natural selection acts on individual organisms the evolution of costly cooperation
between microorganisms is an intriguing phenomenon. Introduction of spatial structure to …

Understanding the environmental factors that affect the production of virulence factors has
major implications in evolution and medicine. While spatial structure is important in virulence …

Metabolites have essential roles in microbial communities, including as mediators of nutrient
and energy exchange, cell-to-cell communication, and antibiosis. However, detecting and …

Pollution from heavy metals (HMs)(Cd, As, Cr, and Ni, etc.) has become a serious
environmental issue in urban wetland ecosystems with more and more attention. Previous …