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SUMMARY:Ecosystem functioning in miniature - Thomas  Bell (Imperial Colleg
 e London)
DTSTART:20221013T080000Z
DTEND:20221013T083500Z
UID:TALK179372@talks.cam.ac.uk
DESCRIPTION:Bacteria influence many important ecosystem processes such as 
 decomposition. Two experimental approaches have generally been used to stu
 dy these systems. The first is a reductionist &ldquo\;bottom up&rdquo\; ap
 proach\, which isolates individual bacteria\, and builds synthetic communi
 ties to understand inter-specific interactions impact functioning. The sec
 ond is a &ldquo\;top down&rdquo\; approach\, observing or manipulating com
 munities in situ\, measuring process rates\, and building models to link c
 ommunity structure and ecosystem functioning. I will summarise a third int
 ermediate approach: using large libraries of intact communities inoculated
  into standardised conditions. This approach preserves realism and allows 
 more direct inferences about cause and effect. I will outline how we have 
 used this approach to infer interactions among bacteria in complex microco
 sm communities\, allowing us to identify the functional groups and ecologi
 cal guilds that are maintaining decomposition-related processes within the
  microcosms. The approach generates highly repeatable dynamics\, potential
 ly providing a route toward domestication of intact\, preserved communitie
 s. 
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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