Resistance May Be Futile: Gut Spatial Heterogeneity Supports Bacteria-Phage Co-existence

摘要

How do we explain the co-existence of bacteria and bacteriophages in complex environments? In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Lourenco et al. highlight the importance of spatial structure in facilitating the persistence of sensitive bacterial hosts and their virulent bacteriophages in the mammalian gut.