METconnectII: Impact of a viral shunt, predation, and bioturbation on inter-kingdom interaction modulating methane oxidation and microbial community functioning.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Marcus A. Horn, since 11/2024
• Subject Area: Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 399328021

Methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) are the only known biological methane sink on Earth, appreciably mitigating the emission of the potent greenhouse gas in diverse environments. Therefore, the MOB provide a crucial ecosystem service and modulates ecosystem-level methane emission. Accumulating evidence, including findings from phase I of this project, strongly suggests that aerobic methane oxidation is a community functioning, driven by an interaction network of MOB and non-MOB (MOB interactome); the non-MOB which do not possess the metabolic capability to oxidize methane were also found to be relevant members of the interactome. Moving beyond relating MOB community composition, diversity, and abundances to methane oxidation, this proposal will address a novel perspective on the role and significance of the MOB interactome. To date, how microbial interaction affects the MOB interactome is virtually unknown. Building on phase I, this renewal proposal aims to determine how community interaction (exemplified by a viral shunt, protist predation, and bioturbation) restructures the methane-driven interaction network, affecting MOB activity and consequently, the flow of methane-derived carbon into the microbial foodweb. We hypothesize that a (i) viral shunt and (ii) predation will decrease the abundance of microorganisms, including MOB, imposing a short-term/immediate adverse effect on MOB activity and restructures the interaction network, while (iii) bioturbation will impose indirect effects on community functioning via habitat engineering, modifying the interaction network in the long-term. Using stable isotope probing approaches coupled to high throughput sequencing, metagenomics/metatranscriptomics, and complemented by process measurements, the response of the MOB interactome and activity to a viral shunt, predation, and bioturbation will be elaborated. This proposal is consequently poised to generate novel insights in microbial interaction across trophic levels.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Adrian Ho Kah Wye, Ph.D., until 11/2024