The virulence of pathogenic microbes can depend on individual cells cooperating in the
concerted production of molecules that facilitate host colonization or exploitation. However …

Both intra-and interspecific interactions between microbes are likely to play an important role
in determining the severity of microbial infections. Here, we study the impact of interactions …

Co-operative behaviours, such as the production of public goods, are commonly displayed
by bacteria in biofilms and can enhance their ability to survive in environmental or clinical …

Why should organisms cooperate with each other? Helping close relatives that are likely to
share the same genes (kin selection) is one important explanation that is likely to apply …

Extracellular polysaccharides are compounds secreted by microorganisms into the
surrounding environment, and they are important for surface attachment and maintaining …

The potential for siderophore mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to attenuate virulence
during infection, and the possibility of exploiting this for clinical ends, have attracted much …

There has been extensive theoretical debate over whether population viscosity (limited
dispersal) can favour cooperation. While limited dispersal increases the probability of …

Background Efficient host exploitation by parasites is frequently likely to depend on
cooperative behaviour. Under these conditions, mixed-strain infections are predicted to …

Bacterial biofilms remain a persistent threat to human healthcare due to their role in the
development of antimicrobial resistance. To combat multi-drug resistant pathogens, it is …

Understanding the mechanisms that promote cooperative behaviors of bacteria in their hosts
is of great significance to clinical therapies. Environmental stress is generally believed to …