Trophic interactions induce spatial self-organization of microbial consortia on rough surfaces.

ABSTRACT: The spatial context of microbial interactions common in natural systems is largely absent in traditional pure culture-based microbiology. The understanding of how interdependent microbial communities assemble and coexist in limited spatial domains remains sketchy. A mechanistic model of cell-level interactions among multispecies microbial populations grown on hydrated rough surfaces facilitated systematic evaluation of how trophic dependencies shape spatial self-organization of microbial consortia in complex diffusion fields. The emerging patterns were persistent irrespective of initial conditions and resilient to spatial and temporal perturbations. Surprisingly, the hydration conditions conducive for self-assembly are extremely narrow and last only while microbial cells remain motile with

SUBMITTER: Wang G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5381366 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature