5/5 New tools help to close this gap. Individual-based models, microfluidics, hydrogels, and spatial omics allow insights into spatially structured communities. Spatial complexity is not noise; it is a signal! Embracing it is how we will learn the rules that govern microbial life.🔬
3/5 Natural microbiomes are fragmented: across soil pores, gut crypts, and marine particles. Subpopulations are dominated by drift and limited dispersal, which stabilizes cooperation and maintains diversity. Their tiny interactions scale up to biogeochemical processes, such as the ocean carbon flux.
4/5 Microscale interactions scale up to shape global biogeochemical cycles. Carbon flux, nutrient cycling, and viral lysis all depend on local spatial structure that many models simply average away. Connecting micro to macro is one of the biggest open challenges in the field!
In case you missed it: our review titled "Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities" is out! 🚨
Let me hit you with some highlights on why spatial structure matters. (and why you should care!)
Sharing is appreciated 🙏 🧵👇
doi.org/10.1093/fems...
Wrapping up a productive week: very glad to have contributed to this review on how spatial structure shapes microbial ecology and evolution, led by @marcelbaecker.bsky.social, @bedutilh.bsky.social, @bramvandijk.bsky.social and many others. doi.org/10.1093/fems...
Most microbes don't live in shaking flasks; spatial structure shapes how microbes interact and evolve at every scale, as we discuss in our recent review @jeroenmeijer.bsky.social @simonvanvliet.bsky.social @bedutilh.bsky.social @bramvandijk.bsky.social and others
academic.oup.com/femsre/artic... 🧵👇
Great seminar last week at the @jsmc-info.bsky.social, organized by @marcelbaecker.bsky.social!
Prof. Christian Kost (@kostchristian.bsky.social) shared fascinating insights into microbial interactions and cooperation.
Always inspiring to learn from leading researchers in the field
#JSMC
Microbes grow in spatially structured communities. Bäcker et al. comprehensively synthesize evidence that spatial organization drives microbial ecological and evolutionary processes across scales. #FEMSMicrobiolRev buff.ly/wceLoPr @bramvandijk.bsky.social
