Discovery, Characterization and Ecological Impact of a Predatory Bacterium of Cyanobacteria Responsible for Epidemics in Biocrusts

Predatory bacteria are a guild of heterotrophs that feed directly on other living bacteria. They belong to several bacterial lineages that evolved this mode of life independently and occur in many microbiomes and environments. Current knowledge of predatory bacteria is based on culture studies and simple detection in natural systems.