Plasmids have a key role in bacterial ecology and evolution because they mobilize
accessory genes by horizontal gene transfer. However, recent studies have revealed that …

Many viruses evolve rapidly. This is due, in part, to their high mutation rates. Mutation rate
estimates for over 25 viruses are currently available. Here, we review the population …

The emergence of drug resistance limits the efficacy of targeted therapies in human tumors.
The prevalent view is that resistance is a fait accompli: when treatment is initiated, cancers …

It has become increasingly clear that low levels of antibiotics present in many environments
can select for resistant bacteria, yet the evolutionary pathways for resistance development …

Whole-genome sequencing has opened the way for investigating the dynamics and
genomic evolution of bacterial pathogens during the colonization and infection of humans …

Accurate estimates of virus mutation rates are important to understand the evolution of the
viruses and to combat them. However, methods of estimation are varied and often complex …

At a time of unprecedented expansion in the life sciences, evolution is the one theory that
transcends all of biology. Any observation of a living system must ultimately be interpreted in …

Rates of spontaneous mutation per genome as measured in the laboratory are remarkably
similar within broad groups of organisms but differ strikingly among groups. Mutation rates in …

The lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are chronically infected for years by one or a few
lineages of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These bacterial populations adapt to the highly …

Microorganisms have been mutating and evolving on Earth for billions of years. Now, a field
of research has developed around the idea of using microorganisms to study evolution in …