Benjamin Ross, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, co-authored a study published in the journal Nature, reporting that different species of bacteria in the human gut “share immunity genes to protect themselves against each other’s toxins and maintain their balance of power.” A GeekWire news piece notes that “gene-swapping thus appears to be a crucial element of a ‘molecular arms race’ by which groups of bacteria maintain their status in the gut microbiome.”
