Carnegie Faculty Associate Seminar - Devaki Bhaya

Abstract:

We study the extremophile communities that form colorful microbial mats in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park. In these stratified biofilms, 16S rRNA diversity has been correlated with environmental gradients of temperature, oxygen and light. Analysis of thermophilic cyanobacteria that dominate at different temperatures in the mats, has provided insights into genomic micro-diversity, horizontal gene transfer and metabolic versatility within these populations. We are currently using meta-omics and single cell amplified genomes to extend these studies, including for the study of host-phage co-evolution (with the DOE- Joint Genome Institute). I will describe our findings in the context of how moderately complex communities are ideally suited to probing how physical forces and chemical gradients in combination with genetic diversity, shape microbial community structure and dynamics.