The fastest way that bacteria adapt is usually by horizontal gene transfer. They can mutate very quickly by comparison to Eukaryotes but it’s much harder to invent new metabolic pathways or systems that way rather than sucking them in from the vast global metagenome pool.
Yes, but if everyone else is paying a “virus tax” and devoting resources to fending off viruses and you don’t have to, you have the bigly advantage.
Those in your e-coli-ological niche, yes.
What if the virus-proof bacteria mutate and take over other niches? Can’t bacteria mutate very quickly?
The fastest way that bacteria adapt is usually by horizontal gene transfer. They can mutate very quickly by comparison to Eukaryotes but it’s much harder to invent new metabolic pathways or systems that way rather than sucking them in from the vast global metagenome pool.