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 …

The'plasmid paradox'arises because, although plasmids are common features of bacterial
genomes, theoretically they should not exist: rates of conjugation were believed insufficient …

Horizontal gene transfer is an important evolutionary force, facilitating bacterial diversity. It is
thought to be pervasive in host-associated microbiomes, where bacterial densities are high …

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) drives microbial adaptation but is often under the control of
mobile genetic elements (MGEs) whose interests are not necessarily aligned with those of …

Highlights•Collaboration and conflict between MGEs can promote and inhibit HGT•Many
genome defences are MGE-encoded, serving MGE interests and changing frequently•The …

Naturally occurring plasmids come in different sizes. The smallest are less than a kilobase of
DNA, while the largest can be over three orders of magnitude larger. Historically, research …

Antibiotic resistance encoded on plasmids is a pressing global health problem. Predicting
which plasmids spread in the long term remains very challenging, even though some key …

Antibiotic resistance tends to carry fitness costs, making it difficult to understand how
resistance can be maintained in the absence of continual antibiotic exposure. Here we …

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is a major threat to public health; one of the key
elements in the spread and evolution of AMR in clinical pathogens is the transfer of …

The rise of β-lactam resistance among pathogenic bacteria, due to the horizontal transfer of
plasmid-encoded β-lactamases, is a current global health crisis. Importantly, β-lactam …