Social genes are selection hotspots in kin groups of a soil microbe. Myxococcus xanthus

The aim of this project is to assess the genetic diversity within single fruiting bodies of Myxococcus xanthus isolated from soil. Since relatedness in these multicellular structures is very high, whole genomes were sequenced, assembled and finished to a single contig for each of one individual within six fruiting bodies. The purpose of this study is to identify the evolutionary forces that drive differentiation in myxobacteria in soil.