Just the tip of the iceberg...more to come on this topic!

Congratulations to Laura Mancera-Miranda for her first scientific paper, and best of luck for her upcoming PhD dissertation defence!

doi.org/10.1002/mbo3...

Very enjoyable visit and discussions with Javier Lopez Garrido’s Lab, @paulbrainey.bsky.social and everybody at the Max Planck Institute für Evolutionsbiologie at Plön, hope you guys enjoyed the seminar and thanks again for the invite and the warm welcome.

And here’s the kicker: this specialization helps bacteria spread! Flagella-equipped bacteria exit the infected tissue, ready to colonize new areas. This coordinated strategy is crucial for the pathogen's success.

Spatiotemporal teamwork balances costly traits: immune suppression vs. motility. The study captures bacterial subpopulations dynamically shifting roles during colonization.

Bacteria near plant cells prioritize immune suppression, while those protected from plant defenses switch to motility.

Think of it as a team effort to overcome the plant's immunity:

- Attack team: Cells activate a secretion system to suppress plant immunity, creating a "safe zone" for their kin.
- Escape team: Motile cells flee infected tissue before necrosis, ensuring survival and spread of the pathogen