When considering a bacterial population as a multicellular community, it is imperative to understand the inherent roles of maintaining homeostasis and viability in response to environmental factors. Cannibalism is a strategy to cope with nutrient deficiency in the environment, which maintains survival of the Bacillus population. Although cannibalism is well-investigated in Bacillus subtilis, the model species of Bacillus, its mechanism remains unknown in other Bacillus species.
