Microbes transiently differentiate into distinct, specialized cell types to generate functional
diversity and cope with changing environmental conditions. Though alternate programs …

Phase variation yields phenotypic heterogeneity in a clonal population as the result of one of
a limited number of known molecular mechanisms. These include slipped strand mispairing …

Microbial communities are continuously exposed to unpredictable changes in their
environment. To thrive in such dynamic habitats, microorganisms have developed the ability …

Natural selection has shaped the strategies for survival and growth of microorganisms. The
success of microorganisms depends not only on slow evolutionary tuning but also on the …

Quantitative modeling is quickly becoming an integral part of biology, due to the ability of
mathematical models and computer simulations to generate insights and predict the …

Collective behaviors require coordination among a group of individuals. As a result,
individuals that are too phenotypically different from the rest of the group can be left out …

Microbes in the wild face highly variable and unpredictable environments and are naturally
selected for their average growth rate across environments. Apart from using sensory …

The emergence of acquired drug resistance in cancer represents a major barrier to
treatment success. While research has traditionally focused on genetic sources of …

Genome-wide association studies have thus far failed to explain the observed heritability of
complex human diseases. This is referred to as the “missing heritability” problem. However …

Organisms can protect themselves against future environmental change. An example is
cross-protection, where physiological adaptation against a present environmental stressor …