A. graevenitzii preferentially grow as clusters in
co-culture with S. aureus
Spatial clustering of species during co-culture on solid surfaces can
provide competative advantages and protect against environmental
stresses. In co-culture with S. aureus we observed higher numbers
of clustered A. graevenitzii colonies compared to A.
graevenitzii monocultures or even co-cultures with S. cristatus(Fig. 5A). Measurement of exclusion zones broadly comparing single
versus clustered A. graevenitzii microcolonies revealed that even
very large clusters (> 160 µm diameter) of A.
graevenitzii did not produce significantly larger exclusion zones
compared to single microcolonies (~20 µm diameter)
(Fig. 5B,C).