Microbial Communities: Multicellular Cooperation

描述：（由申请人提供）微生物学家最近发现 微生物群落，其中一些是宏观的， 数百年来，它们都是高度结构化和整合的， 通过与高等生物相似的过程进行发育。 微生物群落在人体器官系统中形成（例如，嘴），并有一个 对健康有益。另一些则促进植物生长， 控制降解过程，处理污水和补救污染物， 生态系统。大多数微生物过程都依赖于 从反刍动物的消化到“黑森林”中的硫循环， 吸烟者，”是由整合良好的微生物群落进行的， 现在看到了一个非常高水平的结构复杂性和发展 通过信号机制进行控制。 虽然微生物群落可能类似于多细胞生物体， 有一个原始的循环系统和一定程度的细胞特化， 与这些生命形式有很大的不同社区不是 从一个单一的基因组组装，就像植物或动物一样，但从一个大的 被编程为在群落形成中合作的基因组的数量。 这些复杂的、自我组装的微生物群落无处不在， 或被饥饿杀死，或被生殖必需品限制，所以也许我们 他们是最成功的居民，这一点并不奇怪 地球上的生态系统，包括最恶劣和极端的环境。 既然我们知道了微生物的结构和功能的复杂性， 包括了影响我们的医疗，牙科， 农业，环境和工业系统，我们可以使用新的工具， 由工程学科提供，以检查成熟的社区。 然而，我们对它们的发展几乎一无所知。如果我们要 充分了解微生物群落以促进其发展，或 即使是为了我们自己的利益而操纵它们，我们也必须理解它们。 胚胎学和生理学。“这次关于该组织的座谈会， 微生物群落的功能使其本身成为一个令人兴奋的， 艰巨的任务我们计划于2001年10月14日至16日在旧金山召开这次研讨会 迪亚哥学术讨论会将汇集具有广泛专业知识的科学家， 考虑一个具有广泛影响的问题的科学。参与者将 具有以下科学学科的专业知识：微生物学， 生物信息学、信号传导和生态学。我们将邀请墨西哥科学家 在相关的科学学科工作，以实现平衡， 国际视野。座谈会结束后，将发布一份报告 以印刷和电子形式编写， 全面，但为未来提供切实可行的建议。

DESCRIPTION: (provided by applicant) Microbiologists have recently discovered that microbial communities, some of which are macroscopic and have been studied for hundreds of years, are highly structured and integrated and may actually undergo development by processes similar to those of higher organisms. Microbial communities form in human organ system (e.g., the mouth) and have a beneficial effect on health. Others promote plant growth and carry out the controlled degradative processes that treat sewage and remediate pollutants in our ecosystems. Most microbial processes upon which the well-being of the biosphere depends, from ruminant digestion to sulfur cycling in "black smokers," is carried out by well integrates microbial communities in which we now see a very high level of structural sophistication and developmental control by signaling mechanisms. While a microbial community may resemble a multicellular organism because it has a primitive circulatory system and a degree of cellular specialization, it differs from these life forms in significant ways. The community is not assembled from a single genome, as is a plant or animal, but from a large number of genomes that are programmed to cooperate in community formation. These complex, self-assembling microbial communities are ubiquitous and are not killed by starvation or limited by reproductive necessities, so perhaps we should not be surprised that they re the most successful inhabitants of all ecosystems on earth, including the most hostile and extreme environments. Now that we know the structural and functional complexity of microbial communities that comprise most of the bacteria that affect our medical, dental, agricultural, environmental, and industrial systems, we can use the new tools provided by the engineering disciplines to examine the mature communities. However, we know almost nothing at all about their development. If we are to understand microbial communities sufficiently to promote their development, or even to manipulate them for our own benefit, we must understand their "embryology" and their "physiology." This colloquium on the organization and function of microbial communities has set itself this exciting, and somewhat daunting, task. We plan to convene this colloquium October 14-16, 2001, in San Diego. The colloquium will bring together scientists with broad expertise to consider the science of an issue with broad implications. Participants will have expertise in the following scientific disciplines: microbiology, bioinformatics, signaling, and ecology. We will include Mexican scientists working in the relevant scientific disciplines to achieve a balanced, international perspective. Following the colloquium, a report will be developed, in both print and electronic formats, that will be analytical and comprehensive, yet offer practical recommendations for the future.