Fig. 2 Local exhaustion of essential nutrients constrains the growth rate of colonies of osmotrophs. a The reduction in growth rate following local nutrient exhaustion is greatest for immobile cells, that cannot contribute to colony growth once any essential nutrient is locally exhausted. b The effect is partially mitigated for autolytic cells, which recycle nutrients from dead cells. c Motile cells swim to new locations once nutrients are exhausted, leaving exoenzymes behind. d Fungal colonies remain connected and can therefore translocate resources internally. All colonies are shown growing exponentially, and their growth strategies result in different zones of cell behaviour and nutrient depletion, as shown in the fi gure