(22d) Characterization of Microbial Interactions in Stressed Environments for Construction of Synthetic Communities

Microbial communities play vital roles in areas ranging from the environment (e.g., rhizosphere) to human health (e.g., gut microbiome). Understanding the key interactions among microbial species in these communities stands to benefit engineers who desire to leverage the greater functional capacity of the community, compared to individual species, toward biotechnological goals. Here, we use paired synthetic microbial communities to study the interactions of bacterial strains isolated from the Oak Ridge Reservation, a site with high metal and acid contamination. By identifying various mechanisms of cooperation and competitions, we hope to extend our learnings and construct higher order synthetic communities robust to toxic environments with applications in remediation and waste upgrading.