Flavobacterium IR1 is a gliding bacterium with a high degree of colonial organization as a 2D photonic crystal, resulting in vivid structural coloration when illuminated. Enterobacter cloacae B12, an unrelated bacterium, was isolated from the brown macroalga Fucus vesiculosus from the same location as IR1. IR1 was found to be a predator of B12. A process of surrounding, infiltration, undercutting and killing of B12 supported improved growth of IR1. A combination of motility and capillarity facilitated the engulfment of B12 colonies by IR1. Predation was independent of illumination. Mutants of IR1 that formed photonic crystals less effectively than the wild type were reduced in predation. Conversely, formation of a photonic crystal was not advantageous in resisting predation by Rhodococcus spp. PIR4. These observations suggest that the organization required to create structural colour has a biological function (facilitating predation) but one that is not directly related to the photonic properties of the colony. This work is the first experimental evidence supporting a role for this widespread type of cell organization in the Flavobacteriia.

Flavobacterium IR1是一种滑行细菌，具有高度的菌落组织，为2D光子晶体，在被照亮时会导致生动的结构着色。从棕色大型藻（Fucus vesiculosus）中分离出一种不相关的细菌泄殖腔肠杆菌B12。从与IR1相同的位置。发现IR1是B12的捕食者。B12的包围，浸润，根切和杀死的过程支持IR1的生长改善。活力和毛细作用的结合促进了IR1吞噬B12菌落。捕食与照明无关。与野生型相比，形成光子晶体的IR1突变体捕食效率降低。相反，光子晶体的形成不利于抵抗红球菌的捕食spp。PIR4。这些观察结果表明，产生结构颜色所需的组织具有生物学功能（促进捕食），但是与殖民地的光子特性没有直接关系。这项工作是第一个实验证据，支持这种在黄细菌中广泛分布的细胞组织的作用。