Delighted to see this out in its final form! doi.org/10.1093/isme...
We established a discussion group focussed on the history of community ecology and how it informs our understanding of microbiota. This review distils those discussions to provide a guide for microbiologists entering the field
What determines who wins in bacterial competition? We review how the environment can influence bacterial warfare! Hopefully interesting for anyone who likes Bacteriocins (my favorite), T6SS, or CDIs! portlandpress.com/essaysbioche...
Really excited to share a fully-funded PhD position in my lab at the University of Reading exploring how E. coli uses competition to survive in the microbiome. Perfect for anyone interested in using a mix of biochem and ecology to study pathogens. Deadline May 29th! www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Isn't this also true about any organism we isolate and start studying? Even if it hasn't evolved in the lab, it's still a snapshot from when it was isolated
A problematic notion www.science.org/content/arti...
I had a great time working on this with @magicmicrobe.bsky.social and Kevin Foster at the University of Oxford. Stay tuned for how I've been building on this work in my own lab in the department of microbiology at @umanitoba.bsky.social
We wanted to know why bacteria have multiple similar weapons in their genomes. Increasing the number of competitors that can be attacked, or increased effectiveness in combination don't seem to be why. Instead, these weapons aren't redundant but are adapted for specific conditions!