Summary In the oceans and seas, environmental conditions change over multiple temporal and spatial scales. Here, we ask what factors affect the bacterial community structure across time, depth and size fraction during six seasonal cruises (2 years) in the ultra‐oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The bacterial community varied most between size fractions (free‐living (FL) vs. particle‐associated), followed by depth and fin...

Every living cell is composed of macromolecules such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and pigments. The ratio between these macromolecular pools depends on the allocation of resources within the organism to different physiological requirements, and in turn affects biogeochemical cycles of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Here, we present detailed measurements of the macromolecular composition of Prochlorococcus MIT9312...

In this study, we test the applicability of the Droop/Caperon internal stores model to describe the growth and decline of the globally abundant marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus in batch culture as a function of internal and external inorganic and organic carbon and nitrogen. A rigorous parameter fitting exercise, constrained by the measured cell density, ammonium and inorganic carbon concentrations, revealed many differen...

Summary Bacteria often use sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as the development of complex colonies, elaborate biofilms and advanced dispersal strategies, to cope with the harsh and variable conditions of natural habitats, including the presence of antibiotics. P aenibacillus vortex uses swarming motility and cell‐to‐cell communication to form complex, structured colonies. The modular organization of P . vortex colony...