Research summary
Microbial ecology, a synergy between microbiology, ecology, and bioinformatics, has revealed an important role for host-microbe interactions as drivers of terrestrial ecosystem functions such as productivity and resilience. The objective of the CRC is to explore multi-domain host-microbe interactions in a context of (1) temporal variation of taxonomic and functional microbial community structure; (2) increasing abiotic stresses due to global change; and (3) development of microbial bio-control technologies (synthetic communities) as an alternative to chemicals. The CRC in Applied Microbial Ecology will both expand our mechanistic understanding of plant-microbe symbioses and improve technologies aimed at maintaining ecosystem productivity and resilience.