When theory meets genomics: reconciling game dynamics and within-host evolution
Abstract
Virulence is a context-dependent strategy, not a fixed trait. Building on Tonkin-Hill et al . ( Nat Microbiol 2025;10:1829–1840), a game-theoretical framework predicts when pathogens invest in immune evasion or shift to rapid replication under relaxed host pressures. Integrating genomics and evolutionary game theory explains paradoxes of in vitro attenuation, reframes pathogen–host dynamics as a strategic negotiation and offers predictive tools to guide interventions that steer microbial evolution towards less harmful outcomes.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Microbiology Outlooks
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 1
- Publication date
- 19 February 2026
- Language
- EN