HOST-PATHOGEN DYNAMICS AND EVOLUTIONARY GAME THEORY

It has long been known that resistance mechanisms against pathogens are not perfect and sometimes fail, a result that is generally considered a consequence of random events that undermine the strength of resistance.  We showed that such failures provide an evolutionary mechanism that preserves resistance by maintaining memory of the pathogen across an ecology. This ecological memory is a general strategy for resistance maintenance, and carries implications for ecosystem diversity, stability, and species co-evolution.