Social Microbiology & AMR: Polymicrobial Interactions, Trade-Offs, Anti-Virulence| Dr. Rolf Kümmerli

In this episode of my AMR Podcast series, I am delighted to meet Associate Professor Rolf Kümmerli from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Our conversation explores the evolutionary ecology of bacterial social interactions, polymicrobial infection dynamics, and competitive warfare—offering an ecological lens on how multidrug-resistant pathogens adapt and interact within complex microbial communities. As a leading researcher in bacterial social evolution, Dr. Kümmerli bridges classical evolutionary biology with novel therapeutic strategies, moving beyond traditional monoculture models to examine how neighboring species alter resistance trajectories. Shifting away from sole reliance on direct-killing antibiotics, Dr. Kümmerli explores how understanding evolutionary trade-offs, leveraging natural inter-species competition, and targeting bacterial communication can disarm pathogens without driving intense selection pressure. By unifying social evolution, polymicrobial dynamics, and anti-virulence approaches, this discussion highlights why exploiting bacterial ecological interactions is vital to engineer next-generation strategies against the silent AMR pandemic and combat science denialism. Produced & broadcast by Dr. Surajit Pal; supported by Kiel University Science Communication Certificate Programme; All rights reserved.