Ecology of microbial communities in lake ecosystems in transition

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Microbes are highly diverse taxonomically, phylogenetically, and metabolically and play a major role in the functioning and trophic structure in lakes. Lake ecosystems are undergoing rapid and major perturbations in their structure, integrity and connectivity with their surrounding landscape as a result of climate change. Yet, we still know very little on how and to what extent these changes may alter the diversity and functioning of these communities. Identifying the mechanisms affecting lake microbiomes (microbial networks of taxa and functions) is therefore pivotal for understanding the role of microbial communities in predicting how lake ecosystems will respond to novel or changing selective forces. The primary goal of my research program for the next five years is to investigate the role of microbial communities in shaping the response of lakes to environmental change. Here, the research will use changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a proxy for environmental change given recent increase in many northern lakes and its importance for bacterial processes and lakes functioning. I will meet this NSERC-Discovery goal by addressing three short-term objectives: 1) Identify and compare the core microbiomes typical of northern lake of varying DOM content 2) Assess the influence of DOM source on lake core microbiomes composition and functioning, and 3) Assess the role of community composition on lake microbiome functional response to change in DOM. To this end, I will develop a conceptual framework that allow the identification of core microbiome in lakes and combine the use of next generation sequencing and single-cell technologies in empirical studies and field-based surveys. The research program targeting these objectives will be organized as four distinct HQP projects (2 PhD, 2 MSc) to evaluate the influence of changes in DOM on microbial community composition and metabolism as well as lake functioning, therefore providing information to forecast the response of microbial communities and ecosystems to changing climate and landscapes. The multidisciplinary nature of this research program will provide a work and research environment open to all that will promote diversity and equity and encourage the participation of women and other underrepresented groups and will provide students with broad skills for a wide range of science employment options after they graduate. This program represents a crucial step towards an integrative understanding of how environmental change may disrupt not only the structure of aquatic microbial communities, but also the functioning of lake ecosystems.