Systems Biology lab, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands.
Integr Comp Biol. 2023 Dec 29;63(6):1520-1531. doi: 10.1093/icb/icad060.
Microbial communities play pivotal roles in ecosystems across different scales, from global elemental cycles to household food fermentations. These complex assemblies comprise hundreds or thousands of microbial species whose abundances vary over time and space. Unraveling the principles that guide their dynamics at different levels of biological organization, from individual species, their interactions, to complex microbial communities, is a major challenge. To what extent are these different levels of organization governed by separate principles, and how can we connect these levels to develop predictive models for the dynamics and function of microbial communities? Here, we will discuss recent advances that point towards principles of microbial communities, rooted in various disciplines from physics, biochemistry, and dynamical systems. By considering the marine carbon cycle as a concrete example, we demonstrate how the integration of levels of biological organization can offer deeper insights into the impact of increasing temperatures, such as those associated with climate change, on ecosystem-scale processes. We argue that by focusing on principles that transcend specific microbiomes, we can pave the way for a comprehensive understanding of microbial community dynamics and the development of predictive models for diverse ecosystems.
微生物群落在不同尺度的生态系统中发挥着关键作用，从全球元素循环到家庭食品发酵。这些复杂的组合包含数百种或数千种微生物物种，其丰度随时间和空间而变化。揭示指导它们在不同层次的生物组织中的动态的原则，从单个物种、它们的相互作用到复杂的微生物群落，是一个主要的挑战。这些不同层次的组织在多大程度上受到不同原则的支配，我们如何将这些层次联系起来，为微生物群落的动态和功能建立预测模型？在这里，我们将讨论最近的进展，这些进展指向微生物群落的原则，这些原则植根于物理学、生物化学和动力系统等不同学科。通过将海洋碳循环作为一个具体的例子来考虑，我们展示了如何整合生物组织的层次可以提供更深入的了解，了解与气候变化相关的温度升高对生态系统尺度过程的影响。我们认为，通过关注超越特定微生物组的原则，我们可以为全面理解微生物群落动态和为不同生态系统开发预测模型铺平道路。
