 In this study, researchers examined the behavior of genetically identical cells in microbial populations in a mixed sugar environment. They found that these cells displayed stochastic bimodal activation, meaning they could switch between two different states depending on the type of sugar present. This behavior was consistent with the predictions of evolutionary game theory, which suggests that phenotypic heterogeneity can arise as a result of negative frequency-dependent interactions between individuals. The researchers then used laboratory evolution experiments to demonstrate how such interactions can lead to the evolution of clonal phenotypic heterogeneity from a pure strategist population. This article was authored by David Healy, Kedyn Axelrod, and Jeff Gull.