Credit: Nicola Mayrhofer (CC-BY 4.0) New study shows that ecological changes can turn microbial predator-prey hierarchy.In a brand-new study, two species of bacteria grown in a lab reversed their predator-prey relationship after one types was grown at a lower temperature. Marie Vasse of MIVEGEC, France, and coworkers released these findings on January 23rd in the open access journal PLOS Biology.Ecological Influences on Predator-Prey InteractionsPrior research study has revealed that ecological context can affect predator-prey relationships. After P. fluorescens was grown at 22 degrees Celsius, the predator-prey relationship changed, with P. fluorescens killing and getting nutrients from M. xanthus for its continued growth.The researchers carried out further experiments to much better comprehend the mechanism by which development at chillier temperatures may have reversed the predator-prey functions.
