Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41022726›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Long-term homeostasis in microbial consortia via auxotrophic cross-feeding.

Nicolas E Grandel, Amanda M Alexander, Xiao Peng, Caroline Palamountain, Razan N Alnahhas, Andrew J Hirning, Krešimir Josić, Matthew R Bennett

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nicolas E Grandel *Rice University, Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic, Physical Biology, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1264-5290
Amanda M Alexander *University of Houston, Department of Mathematics, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8962-6135
Xiao Peng *Rice University, Graduate Program in Systems, Synthetic, Physical Biology, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5111-1673
Caroline PalamountainRice University, Department of Biosciences, Houston, TX, USA.
Razan N AlnahhasRice University, Department of Biosciences, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1382-2252
Andrew J HirningRice University, Department of Biosciences, Houston, TX, USA.
Krešimir JosićUniversity of Houston, Department of Mathematics, Houston, TX, USA. kjosic@uh.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1975-3913
Matthew R BennettRice University, Department of Biosciences, Houston, TX, USA. matthew.bennett@rice.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4975-8854

Funding

TRAINING PROGRAM IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINET15LM007093 · NLM · RICE UNIVERSITY · PI Lydia E. Kavraki · 1992 to 2026
$20.8M
Dynamics and pattern formation in differentiating cellular populationsR01GM144959 · NIGMS · RICE UNIVERSITY · PI BENNETT, MATTHEW R. · 2021 to 2024
$1.2M
National Science Foundation (NSF) 1828869NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM144959NLM NIH HHS T15 LM007093NSF | BIO | Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) MCB-1936770NSF | BIO | Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) MCB-1936774U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) 1R01GM144959U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) T15LM007093
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Synthetic microbial consortia are collections of multiple strains or species of engineered organisms living in a shared ecosystem. Because they can separate metabolic tasks among different strains, synthetic microbial consortia have applications in developing biomaterials, biomanufacturing, and biotherapeutics. However, synthetic consortia often require burdensome control mechanisms to ensure that consortia members remain at the correct proportions. Here, we present a simple method for controlling consortia proportions using cross-feeding in continuous auxotrophic co-culture. We use mutually auxotrophic E. coli with different essential gene deletions and regulate the growth rates of members of the consortium via cross-feeding of the missing nutrients in each strain. We demonstrate precise regulation of the proportions by exogenous addition of the missing nutrients. We also model the co-culture's behavior using a system of ordinary differential equations that enable us to predict its response to changes in nutrient concentrations. Our work provides a powerful tool for consortia proportion control with minimal metabolic costs to the constituent strains.

Indexed as

Escherichia coliHomeostasisMicrobial ConsortiaCoculture TechniquesGene DeletionModels, BiologicalNutrientsNutrients

Identifiers

PMID41022726
PMCPMC12480931

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.