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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Microbiol. 2020 Apr 23;28(9):732–743. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.03.008

Figure 2. Niche formation can enable cross-feeding, and cross-feeding can promote niche formation, in bacterial systems.

Figure 2.

An example showing the development of resource gradients and cross-feeding is depicted. As the bacterial population grows, a resource gradient (blue) forms that promotes metabolic differentiation (represented by green and beige coloration of the cells). Bacteria carrying out the “beige” metabolism release a product (closed orange circle) that can be used by cells in a specific subzone, leading to further metabolic differentiation (purple cells).