Trade-offs in Auxotrophy Dependencies in Complex Microbial Communities

Microbial communities exploit and compete for resources, often in complex ways that require the exchange of nutrients and co-factors. An important factor driving the dynamics of competition and cooperation is the presence-absence of auxotrophies in the metabolic pathways needed to support growth. Moreover, even when there are resources available, efficient metabolism often requires the production and use of co-factors, which can be costly. We will model the trade-offs that shape the metabolic investment strategies of microbes under these constraints, in order to understand how complex multi-species communities assemble.