Microbes sense neighbors and change jobs to reduce competition, offering clue to coexistence

Neighbor identity outweighs food source in protein productio

Microbes shift roles to reduce competition

April 29, 2026 Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva

Ben-Gurion University Of The Negev Research Institution

Nature Microbiology Publication

Neighbor Identity Outweighs Food Source In Protein Productio Key Finding

Microbes Shift Roles To Reduce Competition Mechanism

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University discovered that microbes can sense their neighbors and shift roles to reduce competition.