Our lab explores the evolutionary mechanisms and social dynamics of bacterial cooperation, specifically focusing on quorum sensing (QS) and the production of shared public goods. Evolutionary theory suggests that individuals performing costly cooperative acts are vulnerable to "cheats," which are mutants that reap collective benefits without contributing to their production. We have shown that factors such as high relatedness and limited dispersal help maintain cooperation by aligning the genetic interests of the group. Understanding these sociobiological interactions offers potential avenues for medical interventions, such as using non-virulent cheats to disrupt infections.

Exploiting cooperative pathogen behaviour for enhanced antibiotic potency: A Trojan horse approach.
Mutlu A, Vanderpool EJ, Rumbaugh KP, Diggle SP, Griffin AS.

Combinatorial quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa allows for novel cheating strategies.
Gurney J, Azimi S, Brown SP, Diggle SP.

Optimised chronic infection models demonstrate that siderophore 'cheating' in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is context specific.
Harrison F, McNally A, da Silva AC, Heeb S, Diggle SP.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa PSL Polysaccharide Is a Social but Noncheatable Trait in Biofilms.
Irie Y, Roberts AEL, Kragh KN, Gordon VD, Hutchison J, Allen RJ, Melaugh G, Bjarnsholt T, West SA, Diggle SP.

The Fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quorum Sensing Signal Cheats Is Influenced by the Diffusivity of the Environment.
Mund A, Diggle SP, Harrison F.

Environmental modification via a quorum sensing molecule influences the social landscape of siderophore production.
Popat R, Harrison F, da Silva AC, Easton SA, McNally L, Williams P, Diggle SP.

The fitness burden imposed by synthesising quorum sensing signals.
Ruparell A, Dubern JF, Ortori CA, Harrison F, Halliday NM, Emtage A, Ashawesh MM, Laughton CA, Diggle SP, Williams P, Barrett DA, Hardie KR.

Conflict of interest and signal interference lead to the breakdown of honest signaling.
Popat R, Pollitt EJ, Harrison F, Naghra H, Hong KW, Chan KG, Griffin AS, Williams P, Brown SP, West SA, Diggle SP.

An experimental test of whether cheating is context dependent.
Ghoul M, West SA, Diggle SP, Griffin AS.

Loss of social behaviours in populations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infecting lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis.
Jiricny N, Molin S, Foster K, Diggle SP, Scanlan PD, Ghoul M, Johansen HK, Santorelli LA, Popat R, West SA, Griffin AS.

Cooperation, quorum sensing, and evolution of virulence in Staphylococcus aureus.
Pollitt EJ, West SA, Crusz SA, Burton-Chellew MN, Diggle SP.

Protist predation can favour cooperation within bacterial species.
Friman VP, Diggle SP, Buckling A.

Quorum sensing and the confusion about diffusion.
West SA, Winzer K, Gardner A, Diggle SP.

Quorum-sensing and cheating in bacterial biofilms.
Popat R, Crusz SA, Messina M, Williams P, West SA, Diggle SP.

Kin selection, quorum sensing and virulence in pathogenic bacteria.
Rumbaugh KP, Trivedi U, Watters C, Burton-Chellew MN, Diggle SP, West SA.

Density-dependent fitness benefits in quorum-sensing bacterial populations.
Darch SE, West SA, Winzer K, Diggle SP.

Cooperation and cheating in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: the roles of the las, rhl and pqs quorum-sensing systems.
Wilder CN, Diggle SP, Schuster M.

Microbial communication and virulence: lessons from evolutionary theory.
Diggle SP.

Fitness correlates with the extent of cheating in a bacterium.
Jiricny N, Diggle SP, West SA, Evans BA, Ballantyne G, Ross-Gillespie A, Griffin AS.

Social evolution in micro-organisms and a Trojan horse approach to medical intervention strategies.
Brown SP, West SA, Diggle SP, Griffin AS.

Quorum sensing and the social evolution of bacterial virulence.
Rumbaugh KP, Diggle SP, Watters CM, Ross-Gillespie A, Griffin AS, West SA.

Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations.
Diggle SP, Griffin AS, Campbell GS, West SA.

Evolutionary theory of bacterial quorum sensing: when is a signal not a signal?
Diggle SP, Gardner A, West SA, Griffin AS.

Social evolution theory for microorganisms.
West SA, Griffin AS, Gardner A, Diggle SP.