Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The microbiome -the communal ecosystem of bacteria, archaea, and microscopic eukarya as well as the environments sustaining them -surpasses its macroscopic counterpart in taxonomic diversity, metabolic capabilities, and biogeographical distribution.Microbes inhabit every habitat hospitable to life, even those too extreme for higher order organisms.In milder environments, microbes provide the foundation for all life, either by maintaining essential biogeochemical cycles or by directly supporting host macroorganism health.These microbes interact to form complex communities, some of which contain up to thousands of distinct species.Modern metagenomic techniques have revealed extensive structure in these communities in the form of non-random species co-occurrence patterns.It has been proposed that patterns such as these arise through cogent assembly rules -deterministic ecological processes that govern the characteristic structure of a community.Yet, because the physiology and behavior of only a tiny fraction of microorganisms has been characterized, it becomes challenging to distinguish between alternative sets of community assembly rules.In this I cannot express sufficiently my gratitude for my adviser, Elhanan, a true mentor.From our first conversation it was clear that he would be source of scientific inspiration; what continues to surprise is his dedication to my own growth not only scientifically, but academically, professionally, and personally.I could hope for no better a companion with whom to formulate, investigate, and occasionally answer the countless offbeat questions I asked during my studies.I dedicate this work to the memory of Stuart Davidson, a colleague, a friend, and a partner in crime.His enthusiasm in all things was infectious, and he had limitless devotion to his friends.He was always the first to celebrate my brightest moments, and during the darkest he managed to accomplish what no else had: he convinced me to take care of myself.
Author: Roie Levy
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2794328628