Phage resistance mutations affecting the bacterial cell surface increase susceptibility to fungi in a model cheese community.

Diverse populations of bacteriophages infect and coevolve with their bacterial hosts. Although host recognition and infection occur within microbiomes, the molecular mechanisms underlying host-phage interactions within a community context remain poorly studied. The biofilms (rinds) of aged cheeses contain taxonomically diverse microbial communities that follow reproducible growth patterns and can be manipulated under laboratory conditions.