Social Systems Microbiology

The Social Systems Microbiology group dives deep into the molecular biology and evolution of how bacteria interact, focusing on the intriguing dynamics of conflict, manipulation, sharing, and dependencies among bacteria, plasmids, and phages.

We are particularly interested in the role of horizontal gene transfer, which is the sharing of genes between bacteria, and how this affects their interactions. A major concern is the rise in antibiotic resistance among harmful bacteria, which is a frightening result of this rampant gene-sharing process. Genes are usually shared via mobile genetic elements like plasmids and bacteriophages. We study how these elements interact with each other and with the host, as well as how these interactions influence the social behavior of the host bacteria.

By using advanced methods and techniques, we study bacteria at the single-cell level revealing, e.g., that even genetically identical bacteria, plasmids, and phages can exhibit complex social behaviors like cooperation, altruism, division of labor, and bet-hedging.