Interspecies Interactions

Microbes must constantly sense and respond to external signals, both environmental conditions and specific chemical signals from the surrounding microbial community.  Several examples have been characterized in which a microbe alters its physiology in response to an external signal produced by neighboring organisms.  In addition, microbes produce a remarkable range of compounds known as secondary metabolites, many of which have no known ecological function, and could potentially be serving as chemical messengers.  This suggests that we may be overlooking entire lexicons by which microbes communicate and interact in natural environments.  To explore this potential reservoir of signals, I am obtaining microorganisms that live together in defined habitats and examining whether they produce compounds that alter the physiology or development of a reporter species from that environment.  Initially I will be exploring the populations that live in various soils as well as those on grapes.