Science September 2016 PMID 27609891

Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes.

Michael Baym, Tami D Lieberman, Eric D Kelsic, Remy Chait, Rotem Gross, Idan Yelin, Roy Kishony

Mentions

206
Peak: 4 in Jan 2021
across 6 sources since Sep 2016

Extended reach

264,161
potential audience

Total likes

1,069

Video views

34,391

Mentions per month

Sep 2016 – Oct 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News90 articles
  • Facebook52 posts
  • X / Twitter32 posts
  • Blogs27 articles
  • Bluesky3 posts
  • YouTube2 videos

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall discussions reflect excitement and reverence for the MEGA-plate experiment, with posts describing observing bacterial mutations and evolution in real time, using words like 'amazing', 'watch it happen', and 'fun to discuss.' The tone is enthusiastic, with references to visual evidence and the experiment's inspiration, underscoring the experiment's educational and scientific importance.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions support the significance of the MEGA-plate experiment as a powerful visualization of bacterial evolution, showing enthusiasm and familiarity with the concept.

InterestHigh interest

Posts demonstrate high curiosity, often referencing specific experimental details and visual aspects, indicating strong interest.

EngagementHigh engagement

Many participants discuss the experimental setup, its implications, and share their own observations or modifications, reflecting deep engagement.

ImpactHigh impact

The widespread acknowledgment of the experiment’s relevance and the emphasis on its educational and scientific value highlight its high impact on microbial evolution understanding.

Abstract in brief

  • The study introduces the MEGAplate, an experimental device that allows scientists to observe how bacteria evolve and spread across a large antibiotic landscape, making it easier to see mutation and adaptation in real-time.
  • Bacterial resistance to antibiotics increased as they migrated, but the evolution was complex, with multiple bacterial lineages evolving different physical and genetic traits and some highly resistant mutants being trapped behind less resistant ones.
  • The MEGAplate serves as a powerful tool for studying microbial evolution, offering clear visualization of how bacteria adapt in changing environments and revealing that evolution isn’t always driven by the most resistant mutants.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were grown on a set of antibiotic concentrations. Exposure to low concentrations facilitated resistance to higher concentrations. https://t.co/S9otVb0gpE https://t.co/vv87M0UQem

Jul 10, 2024 · 42 likes · 3 shares · 32,718 followers View post →
Nature Plants
@natplants.nature.com · Bluesky

[Not about plants] I still remember this fantastic paper and the huge agar plate. Seeing bacterial evolution directly is just visually amazing: "Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes" in @science.org : www.science.org/doi/full/10....

Apr 14, 2025 · 40 likes · 10 shares View post →
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

@baym That's obviously the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym

Sep 21, 2022 · 34 likes · 1 share · 32,718 followers View post →
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

3. Evolution happening before your eyes! The MEGA plate has a gradient of antibiotic concentrations. Most bacteria die at higher antibiotic concentrations but some get a mutation enabling their spread to higher concentration zones. https://t.co/S9otVb0gpE https://t.co/rmg11SxxVp

Apr 8, 2024 · 26 likes · 1 share · 32,718 followers View post →
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci, @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were grown on a set of antibiotic concentrations. Exposure to low concentrations facilitated resistance to higher concentrations. https://t.co/S9otVb0gpE https://t.co/NiwCaFOGDB

Jun 26, 2022 · 11 likes · 1 share · 32,718 followers View post →
キシメジ
@smz__33 · X

https://t.co/ETDqRNiPWN 今日のJCでの論文がとても示唆的で面白かったので、読んでみようと思います

Apr 9, 2024 · 7 likes · 201 followers View post →

All mentions

Low fat sweaty cat
@Silicon_alien · X

@norvid_studies from this paper https://t.co/oLfRIjY4EO

Oct 1, 2025 · 4 likes · 341 followers View post →
Michael Baym
@baym · X

@aaronsiim Thank you! Interestingly, higher concentrations for this drug are impossible -- 1000x MIC is at the solubility limit of trimethoprim. The bacteria in the center are functionally immune. But when we did it with cipro... https://t.co/HAAgphnuL8

May 16, 2025 · 4 likes · 22,440 followers View post →
Nature Plants
@natplants.nature.com · Bluesky

[Not about plants] I still remember this fantastic paper and the huge agar plate. Seeing bacterial evolution directly is just visually amazing: "Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes" in @science.org : www.science.org/doi/full/10....

Apr 14, 2025 · 40 likes · 10 shares View post →
BillOckham
@BillOccham0 · X

RT @ItaiYanai: Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were…

Dec 31, 2024 · 3 shares · 580 followers View post →
Domenico Bellomo
@BellomoDomenico · X

RT @ItaiYanai: Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were…

Jul 12, 2024 · 3 shares · 417 followers View post →
Michael Baym
@baym · X

RT @ItaiYanai: Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were…

Jul 10, 2024 · 3 shares · 22,440 followers View post →
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were grown on a set of antibiotic concentrations. Exposure to low concentrations facilitated resistance to higher concentrations. https://t.co/S9otVb0gpE https://t.co/vv87M0UQem

Jul 10, 2024 · 42 likes · 3 shares · 32,718 followers View post →
Julian Norris
@Paleoguy073 · X

@Nonlin_Org @Gutsick_Gibbon Escherichia coli bacteria evolve antibiotic resistance on a giant petri dish with increasing levels of antibiotics. “Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes” https://t.co/16jk6rTrIf Harvard Medical School’s video https://t.co/xLbYSRvGoW

May 27, 2024 · 1 like · 377 followers View post →
Nothing Special
@NoSpecialEnt · X

@therealbaldtim @drbigbeef @NotEvolution1 We literally observe positive mutations which help the species survive all of the time many of which do add new functions

Apr 10, 2024 · 22 followers View post →
キシメジ
@smz__33 · X

https://t.co/ETDqRNiPWN 今日のJCでの論文がとても示唆的で面白かったので、読んでみようと思います

Apr 9, 2024 · 7 likes · 201 followers View post →
Grigoris Leontiadis
@GriLeont · X

RT @ItaiYanai: 3. Evolution happening before your eyes! The MEGA plate has a gradient of antibiotic concentrations. Most bacteria die at hi…

Apr 8, 2024 · 1 share · 662 followers View post →
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

3. Evolution happening before your eyes! The MEGA plate has a gradient of antibiotic concentrations. Most bacteria die at higher antibiotic concentrations but some get a mutation enabling their spread to higher concentration zones. https://t.co/S9otVb0gpE https://t.co/rmg11SxxVp

Apr 8, 2024 · 26 likes · 1 share · 32,718 followers View post →
Julian Norris
@Paleoguy073 · X

@of_hate65489 @Kalianeke @leroyb756 @MartinJBern @DavidJayJordan @SpudEternal @Kitty71052501 @Call_Me_Emo1 @SecularSmurf @REPENTHELLFIRE @ScientiaPercept @RJDownard @DavidCamham1 @penguinteamsix @ForrestRichardA @ArkEncounter Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes https://t.co/16jk6rTrIf

Dec 8, 2023 · 1 like · 377 followers View post →
Swagotom Bhattacharjee
@swgotombhtt1 · X

@AthaleLab @bdf_iiserm Yes sure. We actually took the experiment from the article - "Spatiotemporal Microbial Evolution on antibiotic landscapes" by M Bayem. Our protocol was modified, as we needed to reduce the scale. (1/3) https://t.co/tpa44q8kVQ

Oct 15, 2023 · 1 like · 125 followers View post →
メランコリーちゃん(論文)
@ArticleKls · X

Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes https://t.co/Jy6cZExdXl 選択と突然変異が、細菌集団の成長の適応ダイナミクスにどのように影響するかを可視化した論文

Sep 6, 2023 · 1 like · 172 followers View post →
Julian Norris
@Paleoguy073 · X

@DrSly16 @WastedAerospace @Lintpop @ScientiaPercept @NHoomans @CallMeEOnly @MucusMucous @tj10001110101 @8GraySpaceBass_ @Pope_of_Atheism @VelvetEven @1Quetzalcoatl1 @CubeSteve @RainyThorsday @BRijswijk @RJDownard @gregowoc @turboman80 @TakeThatDarwin @cannoli1000 @taygee @manchestermelly @bobfish1973 @PhilBrown62 @nobodyonit @Danthemanbot @AiG Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes https://t.co/16jk6rTrIf Here’s actually a Timelapse video of this very experiment. You can watch it happen! https://t.co/xLbYSRvGoW Do you need more? Perhaps you should retract your statement that it cannot be observed

Jan 12, 2023 · 4 likes · 377 followers View post →
Ben Allen
@beadyallen · X

@juleslhoward No probs. Link on the video seems broken, but the paper's at https://t.co/hKH68b0Wbu

Nov 9, 2022 · 50 followers View post →
Sylevinestbon
@Sylevinestbon · X

Source : https://t.co/jVUIKMkVYE (sous paywall) Pour rappel, utiliser Sci-hub, éventuellement avec VPN ou Tor pour contourner le blocage, c'est illégal. Heureusement, la version pré-publication est en accès libre, et nous suffira

Oct 17, 2022 · 221 followers View post →
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

@baym That's obviously the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym

Sep 21, 2022 · 34 likes · 1 share · 32,718 followers View post →
IberianCitizen
@IberianCitizen · X

Resistencia a los antibióticos en cuestión de días (unos 12) a pesar de concentraciones cada vez mayores de antibióticos. https://t.co/qpGviVkmoE https://t.co/f5l3jJU6lM

Sep 9, 2022 · 6 likes · 12,906 followers View post →
WCI
@WaltherCancerIn · X

RT @ItaiYanai: Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci, @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were…

Jul 2, 2022 · 1 share · 1,118 followers View post →
Itai Yanai
@ItaiYanai · X

Our inspiration was the famous ‘MEGA-plate experiment’ by @baym, @conTaminatedsci, @RoyKishony et al, in which bacteria were grown on a set of antibiotic concentrations. Exposure to low concentrations facilitated resistance to higher concentrations. https://t.co/S9otVb0gpE https://t.co/NiwCaFOGDB

Jun 26, 2022 · 11 likes · 1 share · 32,718 followers View post →
ES MISIÓN POSIBLE
@esmisionposible · X

Si queréis más información aquí tenéis la investigación completa

Jun 8, 2022 · 2 likes · 962 followers View post →
カイセキリュウ
@kaisekiriu · X

RT @Kei_Takada: "Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes" https://t.co/GUswqyPB9i ちょい古い論文だけどおもろい。単純な装置で進化の「系統樹」がまさに樹形に可…

Jun 8, 2022 · 1 share · 431 followers View post →
高田圭介
@Kei_Takada · X

"Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes" https://t.co/GUswqyPB9i ちょい古い論文だけどおもろい。単純な装置で進化の「系統樹」がまさに樹形に可視化される。

Jun 6, 2022 · 2 likes · 1 share · 153 followers View post →
kester lowers
@kester_lowers · X

Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes https://t.co/GFCHGjVjoF

Jul 27, 2021 · 1,158 followers View post →
Vary - @VaryIngweion@neopaquita.es
@VaryIngweion · X

@Hjorvik @Bladimir1206 @ChattyEvei @Parca_de_Plata @ExAtheist6 @Bryan25632815 Dejaré algunos papers por aquí. https://t.co/I4gWBEkxqY https://t.co/DOUg1KaMfz https://t.co/wf6O4VtFKj https://t.co/ZLEpO0jVkg https://t.co/R6q3T2BggU https://t.co/g33WOF7wQ4

Jan 30, 2021 · 2 likes · 26,459 followers View post →
Centre to Impact AMR
@CentreImpactAMR · X

RT @SaSuperbugs: In 2016, @baym, @RoyKishony, and colleagues presented an experimental device- MEGA plate to capture the bacterial adaptati…

Jan 27, 2021 · 1 share · 1,822 followers View post →
Superheroes against Superbugs
@SaSuperbugs · X

In 2016, @baym, @RoyKishony, and colleagues presented an experimental device- MEGA plate to capture the bacterial adaptation in a spatially structured environment with a 4-step gradient of antibiotic https://t.co/djcqLhGsnG https://t.co/J6vqlXHk0H

Jan 27, 2021 · 1 like · 1 share · 1,262 followers View post →
inspirace
@inspirace · X

@catherinelinnen I am not an evolution person and this may not be a typical evolution paper, but the video surely drew the attention of students. Fig. 3 was a bit difficult but fun to discuss: Baym, et al. Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes. Science 353, 1147–1151 (2016)

Aug 14, 2019 · 1 like · 584 followers View post →
mikantakotako
@mikantakotako · X

大腸菌でした。 Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes https://t.co/yWb8GBXECI

Jul 4, 2019 · 269 followers View post →
Iloveespagueti
@iloveespagueti · X

RT @MolecPlantBreed: Highlights of the #mpbpaper round: The MEGA plate allows to study bacterial evolution Spatiotemporal microbial evolut…

Feb 15, 2019 · 3 shares · 720 followers View post →
Mol. Plant Breeding
@MolecPlantBreed · X

Highlights of the #mpbpaper round: The MEGA plate allows to study bacterial evolution Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes https://t.co/RwPkeCnNow

Feb 13, 2019 · 2 likes · 3 shares · 2,180 followers View post →
Niklaus Grunwald
@grunwald.bsky.social · Bluesky

Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes http://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6304/1147

Oct 28, 2016 View post →
Tara Moriarty
@moriartylab.bsky.social · Bluesky

Spatiotemporal microbial evolution on antibiotic landscapes http://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6304/1147

Sep 11, 2016 View post →