Marcin Krzysztof Dziuba

The paper tests how symbiont virulence affects host population dynamics, finding that individual-level effects do not reliably predict population-level impacts.

This study experimentally quantifies the virulence and transmission dynamics of Spirobacillus cienkowskii, revealing it as highly virulent and requiring host death for horizontal transmission, with potential vertical transmission via Daphnia egg cases.

The paper shows that coinfection with two pathogens reduces host survival but limits the spread of the more virulent pathogen, suggesting potential population-level benefits.