December 8, 2025Nature CommunicationsOpen Access

Spatial proximity dictates bacterial competition and expansion in microbial communities

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Experimental analysis reveals that spatial proximity influences bacterial competition, suggesting biofilms are affected by antibiotic tolerance.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa outcompetes Klebsiella pneumoniae during range expansion in spatial setups.
Analysis shows β-lactam antibiotic suppresses Pseudomonas spread unless near Klebsiella, which degrades it.
Observational analysis across microbial communities reveals significant facilitation at a millimeter scale.
Findings may enable improved understanding of biofilms and polymicrobial infections involving drug-tolerant bacteria.

Sahu et al. (2025) studied this question.

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Experimental analysis reveals that spatial proximity influences bacterial competition, suggesting biofilms are affected by antibiotic tolerance.