Lateral gene transfer, bacterial genome evolution, and the Anthropocene.Lateral gene transfer (LGT) has significantly influenced bacterial evolution since the origins of life.  Our actions can promote increased rates of LGT and also provide selective forces to fix such events in bacterial populations.  For instance, the use of selective agents induces the bacterial SOS response, which stimulates LGT.  Improved understanding of the ecology of LGT could help us devise strategies to control this fundamental evolutionary process.
LGT