Time of first contact determines cooperator success in a three-member microbial consortium

Microbial communities are characterized by complex interaction, including cooperation and cheating, which have significant ecological and applied implications. However, the factors determining the success of cooperators in the presence of cheaters remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the dynamics of cooperative interactions in a consortium consisting of a cross-feeding pair and a cheater strain using individual-based simulations and an engineered L. cremoris toy consortium. Our simulations reveal first contact time between cooperators as a critical predictor for cooperator success. By manipulating the relative distances between cooperators and cheaters or the background growth rates, influenced by the cost of cooperation, we can modulate this first contact time and influence cooperator success. Our study underscores the importance of cooperators coming into contact with each other on time, which provides a simple and generalizable framework for understanding and designing cooperative interactions in microbial communities. These findings contribute to our understanding of cross-feeding dynamics and offer practical insights for synthetic and biotechnological applications.