Mobile genetic elements are key to the evolution of bacteria and traits that affect host and
ecosystem health. Here, we use a framework of a hierarchical and modular system that …

Horizontal gene transfer plays a major role in microbial evolution, allowing microbes to
acquire new genes and phenotypes. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs, aka …

Antibiotics were one of the great discoveries of the 20th century. However, resistance
appeared even in the earliest years of the antibiotic era. Antibiotic resistance continues to …

Horizontal genomics is a new field in prokaryotic biology that is focused on the analysis of
DNA sequences in prokaryotic chromosomes that seem to have originated from other …

Bacterial genomes evolve through mutations, rearrangements or horizontal gene transfer.
Besides the core genes encoding essential metabolic functions, bacterial genomes also …

Horizontal transfer of genomic islands (GEIs), that is, chromosomal regions encoding
functions that can be advantageous for the host, plays a key role in bacterial evolution, but …

In biological systems, evolutionary innovations can spread not only from parent to offspring
(ie vertical transmission), but also 'horizontally'between individuals, who may or may not be …

Comparative whole-genome analyses have demonstrated that horizontal gene transfer
(HGT) provides a significant contribution to prokaryotic genome innovation. The evolution of …

Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are self-transmissible mobile genetic elements
that are increasingly recognized to contribute to lateral gene flow in prokaryotes. ICEs, like …

It is increasingly being recognized that the transfer of conjugative plasmids across species
boundaries plays a vital role in the adaptability of bacterial populations in soil. There are …