Hamiltonian Medicine: Why the Social Lives of Pathogens Matter

The virulence of bacterial colonies often increases when the members of the colony are more highly related. [Foster][1] explains how kin selection theory can be used to analyze this phenomenon and discusses the characteristics of bacteria that enable them to benefit from living among their relatives. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/308/5726/1269

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