M. Brockhurst

Multidrug resistance plasmids commonly reprogramme expression of metabolic genes in Escherichia coli

This study introduces eight MDR plasmids into E. coli and shows varying transcriptional impacts and fitness costs, with metabolic genes frequently affected.

What makes a temperate phage an effective bacterial weapon?

This study identifies key traits determining the effectiveness of temperate phages as bacterial weapons and shows how their impact depends on host frequency and environmental factors.

Compensatory mutations reducing the fitness cost of plasmid carriage occur in plant rhizosphere communities

The paper shows compensatory mutations reduce the fitness cost of plasmid carriage in Pseudomonas fluorescens in plant rhizosphere communities.

Evolutionary responses to acquiring a multidrug resistance plasmid are dominated by metabolic functions across diverse Escherichia coli lineages

The study shows that acquiring a multidrug resistance plasmid in Escherichia coli leads to evolutionary responses dominated by metabolic and regulatory mutations across multiple lineages.

Plasmid manipulation of bacterial behaviour through translational regulatory crosstalk

This paper identifies RsmQ as a plasmid translational regulator that globally controls bacterial behavior by altering the proteome, leading to a switch from motile to sessile lifestyle.

Functional diversity increases the efficacy of phage combinations

This study shows that phage combinations with higher functional diversity are more effective, allowing for simpler and more efficient phage therapies.

The dilution effect limits plasmid horizontal transmission in multispecies bacterial communities

The paper shows that bacterial diversity limits plasmid horizontal transmission through the dilution effect and plasmid-plasmid interactions in multispecies communities.

Plasmid fitness costs are caused by specific genetic conflicts

The paper identifies specific genetic conflicts as the cause of plasmid fitness costs in Pseudomonas fluorescens, showing that single mutations can ameliorate these costs.

Higher phage virulence accelerates the evolution of host resistance

The paper experiments with phage virulence and shows that higher virulence accelerates host resistance evolution, leading to faster phage extinction.

Rapid compensatory evolution can rescue low fitness symbioses following partner-switching

This study shows that partner-switching in the Paramecium-Chlorella symbiosis can lead to low fitness due to mismatched photoprotection traits, but compensatory evolution can rapidly restore fitness within 50 generations.

Limited and strain-specific transcriptional and growth responses to acquisition of a multidrug resistance plasmid in genetically diverse Escherichia coli lineages

The paper examines how diverse E. coli strains respond transcriptionally and in growth to acquiring a multidrug resistance plasmid, finding limited and strain-specific effects.

The proficiency of the original host species determines community-level plasmid dynamics

The study shows that the proficiency of host species in maintaining plasmids affects plasmid abundance and dissemination in bacterial communities.

Positive selection inhibits plasmid coexistence in bacterial genomes

The paper shows that positive selection inhibits plasmid coexistence in bacterial genomes by retaining only the more beneficial plasmid, while compensatory evolution allows stable coinfection without positive selection.

Spatial heterogeneity of an ecologically relevant environment accelerates diversification and adaptation.

The paper shows that spatial heterogeneity in soil compost promotes phenotypic diversification and accelerates adaptation in Pseudomonas fluorescens.