Emerging models to study competitive interactions within bacterial communities

Within both abiotic and host environments, bacteria typically exist as diverse, multispecies communities and have crucial roles in human health, agriculture, and industry. In these communities, bacteria compete for resources, and these competitive interactions can shape the overall population structure and community function. Studying bacterial community dynamics requires experimental model systems that capture the different interaction networks between bacteria and their surroundings. We examine the recent literature advancing such systems, including (i) in silico models establishing the theoretical basis for how cell-to-cell interactions can influence population level dynamics, (ii) in vitro models characterizing specific interbacterial interactions, (iii) organ-on-a-chip models revealing the physiologically relevant parameters, such as spatial structure and mechanical forces, that bacteria encounter within a host, and (iv) in vivo plant and animal models connecting the host responses to interbacterial interactions. Each of these systems has greatly contributed to our understanding of bacterial community dynamics and can be used synergistically to understand how bacterial competition influences population architecture.