Volatile Compounds Influence Exploration and Microbial Community Dynamics by Altering Iron Availability.

Bacteria and fungi produce a wide array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and these can act as chemical cues or as competitive tools. Recent work has shown that the VOC trimethylamine (TMA) can promote a new form of growth, termed "exploration." Here, we report that TMA also serves to alter nutrient availability in the area surrounding exploring cultures: TMA dramatically increases the environmental pH and, in doing so, reduces iron availability.