A. T. Kovacs

Disentangling the potential factors defining Bacillus subtilis abundance in natural soils

The paper investigates factors influencing Bacillus subtilis abundance in natural soils, finding grasslands support higher abundance due to biotic interactions and abiotic factors like pH.

Taxonomy of Pseudomonas spp determines interactions with Bacillus subtilis

The paper assesses interactions between Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas spp. isolates, finding taxonomy-based predictors and context-dependent outcomes.

Resistance towards and biotransformation of Pseudomonas-produced secondary metabolites during community invasion

The paper investigates how Pseudomonas protegens uses secondary metabolites to invade soil communities and identifies mechanisms by which other microbes resist these metabolites.

Competition for iron shapes metabolic antagonism between Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas

This study shows that bacillibactin from Bacillus subtilis affects the growth of Pseudomonas marginalis through iron-dependent metabolic interactions.

Enhanced specificity of Bacillus metataxonomics using a tuf-targeted amplicon sequencing approach

The paper develops tuf-targeted primers for high-throughput amplicon sequencing to accurately classify Bacillus species, outperforming 16S sequencing in both synthetic and natural samples.

Enhanced niche colonisation and competition during bacterial adaptation to a fungus

This study evolves Bacillus subtilis in co-culture with Aspergillus niger, finding enhanced surfactin production and surface spreading that inhibit fungal growth.

Parallel genetic adaptation of Bacillus subtilis to different plant species

This study shows Bacillus subtilis adapts genetically to different plant hosts and alternating host regimes, revealing both parallel and species-specific evolutionary patterns.

Species and condition shape the mutational spectrum in experimentally evolved biofilms

This study compares mutational spectra in biofilms of two Bacillus species under abiotic and biotic conditions, finding that smaller population sizes and biotic environments lead to higher mutation rates and diversity.

Physiological and transcriptional profiling of surfactin exerted antifungal effect against Candida albicans

This study investigates surfactin's antifungal effects on Candida albicans, showing it reduces growth, adhesion, and morphogenesis while altering gene expression and enhancing fluconazole efficacy.

Complex extracellular biology drives surface competition in Bacillus subtilis

The paper investigates how secreted molecules in Bacillus subtilis influence surface competition, finding that surfactin promotes cooperation while BslA and EPS act locally and cost-free.

Keystone species determine the productivity of synthetic microbial biofilm communities

The paper identifies keystone species in synthetic microbial biofilm communities that influence their productivity through metabolic facilitation or competition.

Establishment of a transparent soil system to study Bacillus subtilis chemical ecology

This paper introduces a transparent soil system to study B. subtilis chemical ecology under controlled conditions and demonstrates its use for detecting lipopeptide production and dynamics.

Quorum sensing signal autoinducer-2 inhibits sporulation of Bacillus by interacting with RapC and functions across species

This study identifies AI-2 as a quorum sensing signal that inhibits sporulation in Bacillus velezensis SQR9 by interacting with RapC and ComA, revealing a population-level regulatory mechanism.

Adaptation and phenotypic diversification of Bacillus thuringiensis 407 biofilm are accompanied by a fuzzy spreader morphotype

This study shows that Bacillus thuringiensis 407 evolves a fuzzy spreader morphotype during biofilm formation on plastic beads, linked to genetic changes affecting multicellular traits and adhesive forces.

Experimental evolution of Bacillus subtilis on Arabidopsis thaliana roots reveals fast adaptation and improved root colonization in the presence of soil microbes

This study shows Bacillus subtilis rapidly adapts to Arabidopsis roots, improving colonization and biofilm formation, but with reduced motility and fitness costs in non-selective environments.

Development of quantitative high-throughput screening methods for identification of antifungal biocontrol strains

This study introduces two quantitative high-throughput methods to assess antifungal activity of bacterial biocontrol strains against fungal phytopathogens.

Bacillus velezensis stimulates resident rhizosphere Pseudomonas stutzeri for plant health through metabolic interactions

This study identifies metabolic interactions between Bacillus velezensis and Pseudomonas stutzeri in the cucumber rhizosphere that enhance plant growth and salt stress tolerance.

Deletion of Rap-Phr systems in Bacillus subtilis influences in vitro biofilm formation and plant root colonization

This study shows that all 12 Rap-Phr systems in B. subtilis affect matrix gene expression, with some influencing in vitro biofilm formation and plant root colonization.

Diversification of B. subtilis during experimental evolution on A. thaliana and the complementarity in root colonization of evolved subpopulations

This study shows that B. subtilis evolves to better colonize A. thaliana roots, diversifies into distinct morphotypes, and that mixtures of these morphotypes outperform individual isolates.

Adaptation of Bacillus thuringiensis to plant colonisation affects differentiation and toxicity

This study examines how adaptation of Bacillus thuringiensis to plant colonization affects its differentiation and toxicity, revealing trade-offs between multicellularity and pathogenicity.

Phages weaponize their bacteria with biosynthetic gene clusters

The paper identifies phage-encoded biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that weaponize bacteria, enhancing their competitive fitness against relatives.

Impact of Rap-Phr system abundance on adaptation of Bacillus subtilis

This study examines how Rap-Phr regulators influence genetic adaptation and evolution in Bacillus subtilis through competition experiments and whole-genome sequencing.

Secondary metabolites of Bacillus subtilis impact soil-derived semi-synthetic bacterial community assembly

This study investigates how secondary metabolites from Bacillus subtilis affect semi-synthetic bacterial communities in soil, showing reduced abundance of specific genera when NRP-producing strains are present.

Genomic and chemical diversity of Bacillus subtilis secondary metabolites against plant pathogenic fungi

This study examines the genomic and chemical diversity of secondary metabolites in Bacillus subtilis strains to understand their biocontrol properties against plant pathogenic fungi.

Privatization of biofilm matrix in structurally heterogeneous biofilms

The paper investigates structural heterogeneity in biofilms, showing that matrix gene expression varies and that producer cells maintain partial privatization of the matrix, enhancing biofilm robustness.

Phage recombination drives evolution of spore-forming Bacilli

The paper shows that phage recombination under sporulation selection drives genetic diversity in Bacillus phages, leading to new prophages and virulent hybrids.

Cheaters shape the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity in Bacillus subtilis biofilms

This study shows that EPS-deficient cheaters in Bacillus subtilis biofilms increase phenotypic heterogeneity, leading to adaptive strategies that enhance EPS production in the presence of cheaters.

Surfactin production is not essential for pellicle and root-associated biofilm development of Bacillus subtilis

This study shows surfactin production is not essential for pellicle or root-associated biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis, but reduces colony expansion.

Fungal hyphae colonization by Bacillus subtilis relies on biofilm matrix components

This study shows that biofilm matrix components from Bacillus subtilis are essential for its colonization of fungal hyphae, highlighting their role in bacterial-fungal interactions.

BiofilmQ, a software tool for quantitative image analysis of microbial biofilm communities

BiofilmQ is a software tool that enables automated, high-throughput quantitative analysis of 3D and 2D microbial biofilm communities through image cytometry.