Microbial communities are complex multi-species assemblages that are characterized by a
multitude of interspecies interactions, which can range from mutualism to competition. The …

Gut bacteria inhabit a complex environment that is shaped by interactions with their host and
the other members of the community. While these ecological interactions have evolved over …

Plasmids play an important role in bacterial genome evolution by transferring genes
between lineages. Fitness costs associated with plasmid carriage are expected to be a …

A major unresolved question is how bacteria living in complex communities respond to
environmental changes. In communities, biotic interactions may either facilitate or constrain …

Species loss within a microbial community can increase resource availability and spur
adaptive evolution. Environmental shifts that cause species loss or fluctuations in community …

Genes encoding resistance to stressors, such as antibiotics or environmental pollutants, are
widespread across microbiomes, often encoded on mobile genetic elements. Yet, despite …

Highlights•Microbial interactions are increasingly being studied in community
contexts.•Common mechanisms of interaction are found across microbiomes.•Combining …

Experimental studies of microbial evolution have largely focused on monocultures of model
organisms, but most microbes live in communities where interactions with other species may …

Interspecific coevolutionary interactions can result in rapid biotic adaptation, but most
studies have focused only on species pairs. Here, we (co) evolved five microbial species in …

Positive species interactions underlie the functioning of ecosystems. Given their importance,
it is crucial to understand the stability of positive interactions over evolutionary timescales, in …