pH and buffering capacity: Fundamental yet underappreciated drivers of algal-bacterial interactions

Abstract

Understanding microbial interactions in native habitats has been difficult given the complexity of such environments. Using state-of-the-art microfluidics to examine >100,000 cultures of algae and bacteria across hundreds of media conditions, a study published in this issue of Cell Systems¹ found that environmental pH and buffering capacity are critical modulators of phototroph-heterotroph interactions.