Microbial communities are critical for health, agriculture, industry and the environment. We seek to understand and manipulate microbial communities by combining ecological and evolutionary approaches with the study of the human gut microbiome.
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Illustration of bacteria at war
Two strains of E. coli using antimicrobial-toxins (colicins) against each other
Our goal is to understand and engineer diverse microbial communities, including the human microbiome. However, this is a challenging prospect because most microbial communities contain large numbers of evolving and interacting species, which makes them complex systems with many moving parts. We break down this complexity by combining ecological and evolutionary theory with experimental microbiology. We study bacterial competition, including toxin-mediated warfare, and seek to understand what it takes for a given bacterial strain to succeed in the human microbiome. We also study the properties of microbiome communities as a whole, including the ability to resist pathogens. In this way, we aim to identify new ways to prevent bacterial disease and reduce the need for conventional antibiotics.
2023
Microbiome diversity protects against pathogens by nutrient blocking.
Spragge, F., Bakkeren, E., Jahn, M.T., Araujo, E.B.N., Pearson, C.F., Wang, X., Pankhurst, L., Cunrath, O., Foster, K.R.
Science – 382(6676):eadj3502.
2023
The evolution of short- and long-range weapons for bacterial competition.
Booth, S.C., Smith, W.P.J., Foster, K.R.
Nature Ecology and Evolution – 7(12):2080-2091.
2022
The evolution of spectrum in antibiotics and bacteriocins.
Palmer, J. Foster, K.R.
PNAS – 119(38):e2205407119.
2022
Host control and the evolution of cooperation in host microbiomes.
Sharp, C., Foster, K.R.
Nature Communications – 13(1):3567.
2021
Ecological rules for the assembly of microbiome communities.
Coyte, K.Z., Rao, C., Rakoff-Nahoum, S., Foster, K.R.
PLoS Biology – 9:e3001116
2020
The evolution of the type VI secretion system as a disintegration weapon.
Smith, W.P.J., Vettiger, A., Winter, J., Ryser, T., Comstock, L.E., Basler, M., Foster, K.R.
PLoS Biology – Biology 18,5: e3000720. Video explaining results.
2017
The evolution of the host microbiome as an ecosystem on a leash.
Foster, K.R., Schluter, J., Coyte, K.Z. & Rakoff-Nahoum, S.
Nature – 548(7665):43-51.
2015
The ecology of the microbiome: networks, competition, and stability.
Coyte, K.Z., Schluter, J., Foster, K.R.
Science – 350: 663-666.
Foster group contributes to popular children’s science programme
March 2025
The Dunn School group brought the science of the microbiome to ‘Operation Ouch!’, a popular BBC programme presented by Doctors Chris and Xand Van Tulleken.
Dunn School announces first Marvellous Mentor Award
January 2025
Mentors play pivotal roles in all of our lives and careers. To recognize the extraordinary mentors who have generously shared their knowledge to help students learn, fostered growth, and inspired students to become better scientists and people, the Dunn School Graduate Student Association introduced the Marvellous Mentor Award.