Comparative genomics and metagenomics were used to investigate how closely related species of Synechococcus sp. isolated along a temperature gradient differ from each other. We discovered that there was an unexpected degree of shuffling of genomic material. These thermophilic cyanobacteria had the genetic potential to fix nitrogen and could use phosphonates as both a nitrogen and carbon source [20631809, 18323780,16467157, 18931115]. We have some success in transformation and genetic manipulation of these cyanobacteria, so we can inactivate and manipulate specific genes of interest [20631809]. By coupling genetic approaches with proteomics, microfluidics and microscopy [28196492, 21185803], we will test hypotheses about metabolic regulation in synthetic communities. This is an ongoing collaboration with the groups of Arthur Grossman (Carnegie institution), Seppe Kuehn (University of Chicago), Alison Smith and Chris Howe ( Cambridge University).

Select Publications

Bhaya, D. (2019). Diversity, dynamics and defense in microbial communities. In APS March Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2019, pp. C36-002).

Davison, M., Treangen, T. J., Koren, S., Pop, M., & Bhaya, D. (2016). Diversity in a polymicrobial community revealed by analysis of viromes, endolysins and CRISPR spacers. PloS one, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160574

Galante, A., Wisen, S., Bhaya, D., & Levy, D. (2012). Modeling local interactions during the motion of cyanobacteria. Journal of theoretical biology, 309, 147-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2012.06.013

Gomez-Garcia, M. R., Davison, M., Blain-Hartnung, M., Grossman, A. R., & Bhaya, D. (2011). Alternative pathways for phosphonate metabolism in thermophilic cyanobacteria from microbial mats. The ISME journal, 5(1), 141-149. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2010.96

Klatt, C. G., Wood, J. M., Rusch, D. B., Bateson, M. M., Hamamura, N., Heidelberg, J. F., Grossman, A. R., Bhaya, D., Cohan, F. M., Kühl, M., Bryant, D. A., & Ward, D. M. (2011). Community ecology of hot spring cyanobacterial mats: Predominant populations and their functional potential. The ISME Journal, 5(8), 1262–1278. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.73