Peaceful microbes outlast aggressive rivals in harsh, frequently disrupted environments
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On the battlefield that is the microbial world, where microorganisms often try to wipe out the competition by producing various toxins, sometimes it helps to be a pacifist.
Cornell researchers with the Center for Applied Mathematics have found that peaceful microbes are more likely to thrive, and their more aggressive peers perish, if their environment is harsh or experiences violent disruptions.
The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper's lead author is MingYi Wang, M.S. '21, Ph.D. '24.
