J. Weitz

Phage infection fronts trigger early sporulation and collective defense in bacterial populations

The paper shows that sporulation in B. subtilis reduces phage plaque size by creating spore-rich rings that block phage access to susceptible cells.

Structure, interaction, and nervous connectivity of beta cell primary cilia

This study reveals the structural and spatial organization of beta cell primary cilia in mouse and human islets, showing their interactions with neighboring cells and nerves, and their role in islet connectivity.

Coevolution with a seed bank

This study shows that dormancy creates a seed bank that reduces coevolutionary dynamics between hosts and parasites by preserving genetic diversity and buffering population dynamics against phage infection.

Emergence and maintenance of stable coexistence during a long-term multicellular evolution experiment

This study shows how multicellularity evolves through niche partitioning and adaptive divergence in snowflake yeast, leading to stable coexistence via a trade-off between size and competitiveness for oxygen.

Metacommunity Structure Preserves Genome Diversity in the Presence of Gene-specific Selective Sweeps.

The paper shows that metacommunities can maintain genome diversity despite gene-specific selective sweeps through mathematical modeling and simulations.

Optimal dormancy strategies in fluctuating environments given delays in phenotypic switching

This study develops a dynamic model to analyze optimal dormancy strategies in fluctuating environments, considering time delays in phenotypic switching and environmental correlations.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells regulate megakaryocyte and platelet homeostasis

This study identifies plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) as regulators of megakaryopoiesis and platelet homeostasis, showing their role in maintaining steady-state and stress conditions, and their involvement in SARS-CoV2-induced thrombosis.

Leapfrog dynamics in phage-bacteria coevolution revealed by joint analysis of cross-infection phenotypes and whole genome sequencing

The paper analyzes phage-bacteria coevolution using phenotypic and genomic data, finding that coevolution does not follow expected arms race dynamics but instead exhibits leapfrog dynamics.

A thermal trade-off between viral production and degradation drives phytoplankton-virus population dynamics

The paper models how temperature affects viral production and degradation in phytoplankton-virus interactions, showing climate change could alter host-virus dynamics.

Optimizing the Timing and Composition of Therapeutic Phage Cocktails: A Control-theoretic Approach

This study uses control-theoretic principles to optimize phage cocktail timing and composition for bacterial infection treatment, showing that two-phage cocktails can restore efficacy in immunodeficient hosts.

miR-132 controls mouse pancreatic beta cell proliferation and survival through the Pten/Akt/Foxo3 signaling

This study identifies miR-132 as critical for promoting mouse pancreatic beta cell regeneration through the Pten/Akt/Foxo3 signaling pathway.

Heterogeneous Viral Strategies Promote Coexistence in Virus-Microbe Systems

The paper models lytic and chronic viral strategies in virus-microbe systems and finds that chronic viruses can require lytic viruses for survival and invasion.