Cooperating bacteria isolate cheaters
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 15:48
in Biology & Nature
Bacteria, which reciprocally exchange amino acids, stabilize their partnership on two-dimensional surfaces and limit the access of non-cooperating bacteria to exchanged nutrients. Scientists have shown that bacteria that do not contribute to metabolite production are excluded from the cooperative benefits. The researchers demonstrated that cooperative cross-feeders that grow on two-dimensional surfaces are protected from being exploited by non-cooperating bacteria.