title: Strength in diversity.
abstract: In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Hammer et al. (2014) show that distinct, slow-growing bacteria have better in vitro and in vivo growth and virulence when cocultured than in isolation. They provide evidence that the observed inter- and intraspecies "complementation" involves the intercellular exchange of metabolites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wolter
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Electronic address: lhoffm@u.washington.edu.
authors.forename: Lucas R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans