Rosalind J Allen

Abstract Suspended bacterial aggregates play a central role in ocean biogeochemistry, industrial processes and probably many clinical infections – yet the factors that trigger aggregation remain poorly understood, as does the relationship between suspended aggregates and surface-attached biofilms. Here we show that very low doses of cell-wall targeting antibiotic, far below the minimal inhibitory concentration, can trigger aggregation of Escherichia coli cells.

Abstract Microbes often inhabit complex, spatially partitioned geometries such as host tissue or soil, but the effects of habitat fragmentation on microbial infection dynamics and ecology are poorly understood. Here we investigate how habitat fragmentation impacts a prevalent microbial collective defence mechanism: enzymatic degradation of an environmental toxin.

Abstract Many microbes produce enzymes that modify their local environment, leading to collective benefits such as removal of antibiotic or release of environmental nutrients. Although these benefits are usually studied in large, well-mixed populations, in reality they often play out in complex, spatially partitioned geometries such as host tissue, or soil.