Although bacteria typically reproduce asexually, they have developed multiple methods to share genetic information via Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT, also called Lateral Gene Transfer). These mechanisms operate across species delineations, accelerate the adaptation of microbial communities to dynamic environments, and can be triggered or promoted in response to stressful conditions. For example, HGT is responsible for the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants following the introduction of new antibiotics, and the genes conferring antimicrobial resistance are increasingly common on mobile genetic elements among all bacteria, including non-pathogens. While the evidence for, and importance of, HGT is readily found in microbial genomes, the specific microbiological mechanisms and triggers are diverse, remain poorly understood, and cannot currently be measured quantitatively in mixed communities. The goal of this opportunity is the development of in vitro models of HGT to better measure HGT events the laboratory and model the environmental conditions that promote them.