Interactions among microbial cells can generate new chemistries and functions. but exploitation requires establishment of communities that reliably recapitulate community-level phenotypes. Using mechanistic mathematical models. we show how simple manipulations to population structure can exogenously impose Darwinian-like properties on communities. https://www.lightemupsequences.com/hot-find-Raypak-Unitherm-Governor-006719F-great-choice/