Developing a Model Microbial Ecosystem for Experimental Evolution and Systems Biology
Project Leader(s)
UC Santa Barbara
Research Focus Area
Growth of a thick biofilm (bottom row) from oral microflora. Top row: no inoculation. Microscopic image shows dense growth of the biofilm. Live and dead cells are stained fluorescent green and red, respectively. Scale bar = 50 microns.
Our goal is to create a model microbial ecosystem that can be studied in the laboratory. This model system will enable systematic study of the response of an ecosystem to environmental perturbations as well as viral infections. It will also be amenable to analysis of the inter-species interaction network through observations of the dynamical response to initial alterations in species abundance. Our model system is based on the human oral microflora, which is of special interest as a sustained microbial ecosystem and as a contributor to human health.
Date Completed
