Intraspecies competition mechanisms in Bacillus subtilis

微生物群落以无数种方式影响着我们的环境。这些多物种群落对生物修复循环、我们的健康和粮食生产过程有直接影响。这些无处不在的微生物生态系统的组成和功能是由常驻微生物的复杂和动态的相互作用不断调节的。控制微生物相互作用机制的先进知识，包括竞争和合作，将增强我们为特定目的设计合成微生物联合体的能力，并操纵现有生态系统以增强其功能。枯草芽孢杆菌是一种革兰氏阳性细菌，生活在各种环境中，从混凝土裂缝和肠道到土壤和植物种子和根的表面。与其他芽孢杆菌种类一样，枯草芽孢杆菌具有重要的经济意义，并被用作具有各种商业用途的生物活性剂。芽孢杆菌孢子的应用领域包括植物生长促进剂、动物和人类使用的益生菌（胶囊和食品/饮料添加剂）、昆虫控制措施和微生物清洁产品。对于活的生物，如枯草芽孢杆菌，要产生预期的影响，引入的细菌必须首先融入它所加入的已建立的生态系统。融入生态系统的关键步骤之一是在同一物种的常驻菌株已经占据的生态位中开辟空间。这种整合过程需要种内相互作用。博士项目将揭示枯草芽孢杆菌如何在竞争分离株中取得优势地位。将重点放在具有全基因组序列的特定分离株之间种内相互作用的分子性质上。指定的学生将接受分子遗传学方面的培训，并将应用基于微流体的成像来检查种内相互作用的模式。学生还将被鼓励发展沟通和公众参与研究的技能。

Microbial consortia influence our environment in countless ways. These multispecies communities have a direct impact on bioremediation cycles, our health, and food production processes. The composition and function of these pervasive microbial ecosystems is continually modulated by the complex and dynamic interactions of the resident microorganisms. Advanced knowledge of the mechanisms that govern microbial interactions, both competitive and cooperative, will enhance our ability to engineer synthetic microbial consortia for specific purposes and to manipulate existing ecosystems to enhance their functionality. Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium that lives in a wide range of environments from concrete fissures and intestinal tracts to in soil and on the surfaces of plant seeds and roots. Alongside other Bacillus species, B. subtilis is of significant economic importance and is used as a bioactive agent with a variety of commercial uses. The areas that Bacillus spores are used in include plant growth promoting agents, probiotics for animal and human use (capsule and food/drink additives), insect control measures, and in microbial-based cleaning products. For a live biologic, such as B. subtilis, to have the desired impact, the introduced bacteria must first integrate into the established ecosystem to which it is being added. One of the critical steps of integration into an ecosystem is opening space in the niche already occupied by resident strains of the same species. This integration process requires intraspecies interactions. The PhD project will uncover the ways B. subtilis can achieve dominance over competing isolates. There will be a focus on the molecular nature of the intraspecies interactions between specific isolates with full genome sequences. The student appointed will become trained in molecular genetics and will apply microfluidic based imaging to examine the mode of intraspecies interaction. The student will also be encouraged to develop skills in communication and public engagement with research.