Bacteria, not unlike humans, can take up more resources than necessary. When this happens, synthesized byproducts can leak into the environment, which allows other nearby bacteria to evolve cooperative behaviors—such as using the byproducts as nutrients. Cooperation in bacterial communities has also been observed to facilitate behaviors like altering the environment or forming new structures like biofilms.
Click here for original story, Studying E.coli demonstrates how mutualism and cooperative behavior shape species
Source: Phys.org