High growth rates can promote persister cell formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract Bacterial persister cells are characterized by arrested growth and survival in normally lethal antibiotic concentrations. Observations of persistence peaking in the stationary phase suggest that its function may be associated with slow growth, potentially acting as a ‘bet-hedging’ strategy under stress. However, fundamental questions remain about the adaptive function of persistence and how it evolves, as no genetic mechanism has been identified and only a small fraction of the populati