Linking spatial drug heterogeneity to microbial growth dynamics in theory and experiment.

ABSTRACT: Drugs play a central role in limiting bacterial population spread, yet laboratory studies typically assume well-mixed environments when assessing microbial drug responses. In contrast, bacteria in the human body often occupy spatially structured habitats where drug concentrations vary. Understanding how this heterogeneity shapes growth and decline is therefore essential for controlling infections and mitigating resistance evolution. Here, we developed a minimal robot-automated system to study how spatial drug heterogeneity affects short-term population dynamics in E. faecalis, a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen. This system was combined with a theoretical framework to interpret and explain the observed outcomes. We first recapitulated the classic critical-patch-size model result: in a

SUBMITTER: Hu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863682 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature