The Callahan Lab at NC State University (https://callahanlab.cvm.ncsu.edu/team/) is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to study the transfer of DNA between bacteria (horizontal gene transfer;HGT) by virus...

Population-based studies from Sweden with replication in Norway identify associations between host genetic variants and gut microbial composition and implicate short-chain fatty acid chemosensors as m...

Split-And-pool Metagenomic Plot-sampling sequencing (SAMPL-seq) can be applied to complex microbial communities to reveal spatial co-localization of microbes at the micron scale.

Assessing the functional role of species in a changing world is critical for effectively preserving ecosystems. Intuitively, this role should relate to how the loss of a species ultimately impacts a function. We introduce the notion of a species dynamic contribution, which takes into account biotic interactions as they develop in the community. Contrary to the static contribution —a measure of what a species directly does— the dynamic contribution captures what the presence of the species causes. Using both model simulations and empirical data from a ciliate microcosm experiment, we demonstrate that dynamic and static contributions of species are generically unrelated. Our novel characterization of species’ functional contributions reveals that, due to biotic interactions, rare species that do not possess unique functional traits are just as likely as any other species to play an important role for ecosystem functioning. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules that spread by horizontal transfer and shape bacterial evolution. Plasmids are typically present at mul...

Bacterial ability to deploy the type VI secretion system (T6SS) against rivals requires prolonged cell-cell interactions. Such interactions are facilitated on solid surfaces but are assumed to be absent in liquid, leading to the conventional dismissal of T6SS-mediated competition in liquid environments. Here, we find that Aeromonas jandaei employs its T6SS to eliminate diverse bacterial competitors in liquid media. Using a workflow that monitors interbacterial competition via prey luminescence, we demonstrate that auto-aggregation and co-aggregation, facilitated by distinct adhesins, enable kin and non-kin recognition and intoxication in a T6SS-dependent manner. Furthermore, we show that another marine bacterium, Vibrio coralliilyticus , employs T6SS to intoxicate rivals in liquid media. Collectively, our results indicate that T6SS-mediated competition in liquid is more common in marine bacteria than previously anticipated, and can be facilitated by diverse molecular mechanisms that govern cell aggregation. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Israel Science Foundation, https://ror.org/04sazxf24, 1362/21, 2174/22 Swiss National Science Foundation, 51NF40_180541

Classifying biological entities based on whether and how the two fundamental aspects physiological and evolutionary components are represented yields six types of structural organization. The resulti...

Extracellular contractile injection systems (eCISs) are bacteriophage tail-derived toxin delivery complexes that are present in many prokaryotes. Here, the authors present an analysis of eCIS tail fib...

Ecosystems associated with retreating glaciers are undergoing rapid transformation in the context of a changing climate. Invertebrate fauna, including the Chironomidae insect family (non-biting midges...

A metagenomic survey of babies attending the first year of nursery detected extensive baby-to-baby microbial strain transmission, pointing to social interactions in infancy as crucial drivers of infan...

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 16 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-025-02239-6A library of 400 phage protein-coding genes is used to find a trove of antiphage systems, revealing systems that target tail fibre and major capsid proteins.

Genomic approaches have transformed how we study microorganisms, which shape nearly every aspect of life on Earth.

Background Plasmids are influential drivers of bacterial evolution, facilitating horizontal gene transfer and shaping microbial communities. Current knowledge on plasmid persistence and mobilization i...