Bacteroidaceae genetically heterogeneios colonies

Gut microorganisms thrive in a dynamic environment characterized by simultaneous changes in nutrient availability, phage infection pressure, and host immune system regulation. To cope with this variable environment, gut microorganisms rely on phase variation, which is the rapid emergence of intra-population genomic and phenotypic heterogeneity caused by the reversible switching of gene expression in individual cells. This phenomenon has shaped our understanding of gut microbiota ecological dynamics