Nature, Published online: 02 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09204-7

Escherichia coli uses curli fibres, oligomers of the functional amyloid CsgA, as a barrier to protect against the predatory bacteria Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and Myxococcus xanthus in a mechanism that is independent of genes required for biofilm formation.