Persisters are transiently tolerant variants that allow populations to avoid eradication by
antibiotic treatment. Their antibiotic tolerance is non-genetic, not inheritable and results from …

Bacterial infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to widespread antibiotic
resistance among pathogens. This review aims to give an overview of the major horizontal …

In experimental evolution, laboratory-controlled conditions select for the adaptation of
species, which can be monitored in real time. Despite the current popularity of such …

Transformation is a widespread mechanism of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. DNA
uptake to the periplasmic compartment requires a DNA-uptake pilus and the DNA-binding …

Many bacteria are naturally competent, able to actively transport environmental DNA
fragments across their cell envelope and into their cytoplasm. Because incoming DNA …

Bacterial genomics is flourishing, as whole-genome sequencing has become affordable,
readily available and rapid. As a result, it has become clear how frequently horizontal gene …

When growing populations of bacteria are confronted with bactericidal antibiotics, the vast
majority of cells are killed, but subpopulations of genetically susceptible but phenotypically …

Horizontal DNA transfer (HDT) is a pervasive mechanism of diversification in many microbial
species, but its primary evolutionary role remains controversial. Much recent research has …

Metal contamination poses serious biotoxicity and bioaccumulation issues, affecting both
abiotic conditions and biological activity in ecosystem trophic levels, especially sediments …

Bacterial cell–cell signalling, or quorum sensing, is characterized by the secretion and
groupwide detection of small diffusible signal molecules called autoinducers. This …