Welcome to the Microbial Ecosystems Lab @ ASU!

We are interested in studying how bacterial behaviours and intercellular interactions influence the composition and functioning of microbial communities. Our ultimate goal is to understand how interactions drive ecological and evolutionary dynamics of microbial communities that impact biogeochemical process crucial for planetary health as well for health of humans and animals. Our research develops general principles underlying the functioning of microbial communities by studying model systems and natural marine communities from disparate environments.

We are also excited to explore new avenues in our research, particularly investigating how microbial communities and their functions are affected by climate change, and leveraging intercellular interactions to design communities to fulfil specific functions.

Our lab employs time-lapse microscopy coupled to microfluidics, and automated image analysis, transcriptomics and experimental evolution to quantify cellular interactions and spatial dynamics at the microscale, identify molecular underpinnings of emergent behaviours, and assess how interactions evolve over time. We are also interested in complementing our observations of ecological dynamics at the microscale with analyses of the ever-expanding genomic datasets of natural microbial communities.