On the possibility of engineering social evolution in microfluidic environments.
Biophys J
; 123(3): 407-419, 2024 Feb 06.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38204167
ABSTRACT
Many species of microbes cooperate by producing public goods from which they collectively benefit. However, these populations are under the risk of being taken over by cheating mutants that do not contribute to the pool of public goods. Here we present theoretical findings that address how the social evolution of microbes can be manipulated by external perturbations to inhibit or promote the fixation of cheaters. To control social evolution, we determine the effects of fluid-dynamical properties such as flow rate or domain geometry. We also study the social evolutionary consequences of introducing beneficial or harmful chemicals at steady state and in a time-dependent fashion. We show that by modulating the flow rate and by applying pulsed chemical signals, we can modulate the spatial structure and dynamics of the population in a way that can select for more or less cooperative microbial populations.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Microfluídica
/
Evolución Social
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biophys J
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos