Sociology

Bacteriophage

Population

Bacteria

Escherichia coli

Biology

Microbiology

Gene

Epistemology

Demography

Philosophy

Virology

Immunity

Bacterial virus

Computational biology

Mechanism (biology)

Genetics

Prophage

Immune system

Cell Host & Microbe

Bacteria have evolved many immune systems to combat their viral parasites (i.e., phages). In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Owen et al. discover a mechanism of anti-phage immunity that is mediated by a phage-encoded protein, and thus provide an example of how inter-phage conflict can promote survival of the bacterial population.

Prophages self-destruct to eliminate competitors