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Horizontal gene transfer(HGT) is different from vertical gene transfer in that horizontal gene transfer is not from parent to offspring, but between different already existing bacteria. HGT has been shown from bacteria grown in labs to contribute to antibiotic resistance without killing off the non-resistent ones, and instead giving all of the bacteria antibiotic resistence genes. There are different models that predict what happens to the genes, some predicting only the necessary ones will transfer, and some predict all genes can transfer. Some transferred genes can stay in a population for a while before they are needed to adapt. In a lab they did a study where they added raw DNA to bacteria without anything causing the bacteria to take up the DNA, and they naturally took up the DNA. This DNA increased the ability of those bacteria to adapt. They think this may be because the raw DNA triggered horizontal transfer making adaption easier. They discovered that even without antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant genes will get horizontally transferred if they exist in any of the bacteria however at a lower frequency than if there are antibiotics. This means that the genes are transferred for adaptation before it is needed, but the rate increases when it is needed. This all increases our understanding of how antibiotic resistance develops since it is not fully due to the non-resistant bacteria dying out.

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