The study investigates how *Salmonella enterica* serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) utilizes gut inflammation to gain a competitive advantage in the intestinal lumen. During acute gut inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the host immune system react with endogenous sulfur compounds (thiosulfate) to form tetraphosphate, a new respiratory electron acceptor. The genes encoding the ability to utilize tetraphosphate as an electron acceptor confer a growth advantage to S. Typhimurium over competing gut microbes. The researchers found that inflammation is essential for the production of tetraphosphate, as the *ttr* mutant strain, which lacks this capability, did not show increased levels of tetraphosphate in inflamed gut samples. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that tetraphosphate respiration provided a significant growth advantage to S. Typhimurium, leading to its outgrowth in the gut lumen. This advantage is particularly pronounced in the anaerobic conditions of the intestinal mucus layer and near the inflamed mucosal surface. The study concludes that the ability to trigger intestinal inflammation is crucial for the biology of S. Typhimurium, as it allows the pathogen to compete with other gut microbes and enhance its transmission success.The study investigates how *Salmonella enterica* serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) utilizes gut inflammation to gain a competitive advantage in the intestinal lumen. During acute gut inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the host immune system react with endogenous sulfur compounds (thiosulfate) to form tetraphosphate, a new respiratory electron acceptor. The genes encoding the ability to utilize tetraphosphate as an electron acceptor confer a growth advantage to S. Typhimurium over competing gut microbes. The researchers found that inflammation is essential for the production of tetraphosphate, as the *ttr* mutant strain, which lacks this capability, did not show increased levels of tetraphosphate in inflamed gut samples. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that tetraphosphate respiration provided a significant growth advantage to S. Typhimurium, leading to its outgrowth in the gut lumen. This advantage is particularly pronounced in the anaerobic conditions of the intestinal mucus layer and near the inflamed mucosal surface. The study concludes that the ability to trigger intestinal inflammation is crucial for the biology of S. Typhimurium, as it allows the pathogen to compete with other gut microbes and enhance its transmission success.