Antibiotic phase transition curves

Phase transitions are an important and extensively studied concept in
physics. The insights derived from understanding phase transitions in
physics have also recently and successfully been applied to a number of
different phenomena in biological systems. Here, we provide a brief review
of phase transitions and their role in explaining biological processes
ranging from collective behavior in animal flocks to neuronal firing. We
also highlight a new and exciting area where phase transition theory is
particularly applicable: population collapse and extinction.  We
discuss how phase transition theory can give insight into a range of
extinction events such as population decline due to climate change or
microbial responses to environmental stressors such as antibiotic
treatment.