Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities

Most microbes grow in spatially structured communities, and this profoundly shapes their ecology and evolution. At the microscale, short interaction ranges and steep nutrient gradients underlie cross-feeding, quorum sensing, and niche construction, generating spatial patterns that influence microbial behavior, community assembly, and stability. Here, we review theoretical and experimental evidence for how spatial organization drives eco-evolutionary processes, including founder effects during colonization, allele surfing during range expansion, emergent patterns that facilitate multilevel selection, and the exploration of rare epistatic genotypes. While the ecological and evolutionary consequences of spatial…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• AV
  Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

  Awards: EXC 2051-390713860, 2051–390713860, 390713860, EXC 2051
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

  Award: PZ00P3_202186
• BF
  Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

  Award: 390713860
• ER
  European Research Council

  Award: 865694