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Beyond intracellular-extracellular divide toward metapopulation infection biology

Jose A Bengoechea1, Joana Sa-Pessoa2

  • 1Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.

Trends in Microbiology
|July 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The current classification of pathogens is too simple. A new metapopulation infection biology framework better describes complex infections and guides treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Theoretical Biology

Background:

  • Traditional pathogen classification (intracellular vs. extracellular) oversimplifies in vivo infection dynamics.
  • This binary approach does not account for the spatial structure and population interactions crucial to understanding infection progression.
  • A more nuanced framework is needed to accurately model complex host-pathogen interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce the metapopulation infection biology framework for analyzing infections.
  • To demonstrate the utility of this framework using examples like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Cryptococcus neoformans.
  • To illustrate how this framework can generate novel predictions and inform therapeutic interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual development of the metapopulation infection biology framework.
  • Application of the framework to analyze the infection dynamics of specific pathogens.
  • Comparative analysis of the framework's predictions against existing models.

Main Results:

  • The metapopulation framework reveals infections as complex systems of interacting subpopulations.
  • This approach highlights the importance of spatial structure in pathogen behavior and dissemination.
  • Case studies with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Cryptococcus neoformans illustrate the framework's applicability.

Conclusions:

  • The metapopulation infection biology framework offers a more realistic model of in vivo infections.
  • This framework provides testable predictions for pathogen behavior and evolution.
  • It offers a novel perspective for developing targeted and effective therapeutic strategies against complex infections.
Keywords:
CryptococcusKlebsiellainfection biologyintracellular and extracellular bacteriametapopulation

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