Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Microbial Nutrition01:28

Microbial Nutrition

1.7K
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
1.7K
Microbial Classification System01:24

Microbial Classification System

1.4K
Classification is the process of organizing organisms into hierarchically inclusive groups based on their phenotypic similarities or evolutionary relationships. A species comprises one or more strains, and closely related species are grouped into genera. Genera are further classified into families, families into orders, orders into classes, and so forth, up to the domain level, which is the broadest taxonomic rank derived from a combination of phenotypic and genotypic data.The nomenclature of...
1.4K
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms01:30

Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

1.3K
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...
1.3K
Need for Obtaining Pure Cultures01:29

Need for Obtaining Pure Cultures

2.4K
Pure cultures, defined as the growth of a single microorganism species isolated from mixed populations, are fundamental tools in microbiological research and practical applications. These cultures ensure genetic and physiological uniformity, allowing researchers to study microbial traits under controlled conditions.Isolation and Maintenance of Pure CulturesObtaining a pure culture involves isolating a single microbial type from a mixed sample through techniques such as serial dilutions, streak...
2.4K
Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth01:29

Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth

2.0K
Microbial growth control refers to various methods employed to inhibit, reduce, or eliminate microorganisms to ensure safety and hygiene across different settings. These methods are categorized based on the target environment and the level of microbial control required.Biocides are versatile agents designed to control microorganisms by either inhibiting their growth or outright killing them. These agents work through various physical, chemical, mechanical, or biological mechanisms. The...
2.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Membrane-Anchored Mobile Tethers Modulate Condensate Wetting, Localization, and Migration.

PRX life·2026
Same author

Sticky enzymes: increased metabolic efficiency via substrate-dependent enzyme clustering.

PRX life·2026
Same author

Do plasmid-dependent phages enable the survival of costly plasmids?

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Conformational Entropy of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Bars Intruders from Biomolecular Condensates.

PRX life·2026
Same author

Counting to two: how phages decide between lysis and lysogeny.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Virus-like antigen display delivers a stand-alone danger signal through the BCR that circumvents tolerance.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same journal

Distinct involvements of the subthalamic nucleus subpopulations in reward-biased decision-making in monkeys.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Pink1-mediated mitophagy in the endothelium releases proteins encoded by mitochondrial DNA and activates neutrophil responses during inflammation.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Restraint of melanoma progression by cells in the local skin environment.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Brawn before bite in endemic Asian eutherian mammals after the end-Cretaceous extinction.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Experimental evolution to thermal stress indicates climate resilience in a cosmopolitan arthropod.

eLife·2026
Same journal

Correlates of protection against African swine fever virus identified by a systems immunology approach.

eLife·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation
09:49

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Published on: October 31, 2019

23.3K

Microbial consortia at steady supply.

Thibaud Taillefumier1,2,3, Anna Posfai1, Yigal Meir4

  • 1Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.

Elife
|May 6, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microbial communities can form specialized "cartels" that optimize resource use and biomass production. This economic model explains how diverse microbial populations coexist and achieve collective benefits through metabolic specialization.

Keywords:
bacterial diversitycompetitive exclusioncomputational biologyecologymetabolic networknonepopulation dynamicssystems biology

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Mysteries of Terrestrial Anaerobic Microorganisms in Uncharted Environments by In Situ Culturing
07:56

Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Mysteries of Terrestrial Anaerobic Microorganisms in Uncharted Environments by In Situ Culturing

Published on: January 12, 2024

1.6K
Assessing the Viability of a Synthetic Bacterial Consortium on the In Vitro Gut Host-microbe Interface
10:24

Assessing the Viability of a Synthetic Bacterial Consortium on the In Vitro Gut Host-microbe Interface

Published on: July 4, 2018

12.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation
09:49

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Published on: October 31, 2019

23.3K
Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Mysteries of Terrestrial Anaerobic Microorganisms in Uncharted Environments by In Situ Culturing
07:56

Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Mysteries of Terrestrial Anaerobic Microorganisms in Uncharted Environments by In Situ Culturing

Published on: January 12, 2024

1.6K
Assessing the Viability of a Synthetic Bacterial Consortium on the In Vitro Gut Host-microbe Interface
10:24

Assessing the Viability of a Synthetic Bacterial Consortium on the In Vitro Gut Host-microbe Interface

Published on: July 4, 2018

12.3K

Area of Science:

  • Microbial ecology
  • Systems biology
  • Theoretical ecology

Background:

  • Metagenomics reveals high microbial diversity, yet coordination mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Microbial communities can coordinate metabolic fluxes, suggesting potential for specialization.
  • The benefits and stability of microbial specialization are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model the population dynamics of microbes competing for resources.
  • To investigate the role of metabolic fluxes and enzyme budgets in microbial specialization.
  • To determine if microbial consortia can achieve stable coexistence and optimize collective outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Physical modeling of microbial population dynamics.
  • Explicit modeling of metabolic fluxes for biomass production.
  • Analysis under constraints of limited enzyme budgets and steady resource supply.

Main Results:

  • Population dynamics generally lead to the coexistence of diverse metabolic types.
  • Microbial consortia function as
  • cartels,
  • stabilizing resource concentrations.
  • Competing strategies within consortia automatically yield maximum biomass production.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial specialization can lead to stable, cooperative consortia that function like economic cartels.
  • Population dynamics and metabolic constraints drive the emergence of collective optima in microbial communities.
  • This model provides insights into the ecological and evolutionary advantages of microbial metabolic diversity.