New paper alert! 🚨

Plasmids promote bacterial evolution through a copy number-driven increase in mutation rate.

We combine theory, simulations, experimental evolution, and bioinformatics to demonstrate that mutation rates scale with plasmid copy number.

Let's dive in! 🧵👇

🚨 New preprint! We know that plasmids are associated with very variable fitness costs in their different bacterial hosts. But, what is the contribution of each of the plasmid-genes in these host-specific effects? Study led by @jorgesastred.bsky.social, @sanmillan.bsky.social and myself! 1/14

A large group of leading international microbiologists headed by Ken Timmis has just published a report/manifesto on how microorganism can be our best allies for building a better human future—a ray of hope precisely these days 👏 enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....