The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $400,000 Project Grant to Boise State University to study the mechanisms governing the formation and stability of species-rich microbial communities. The funding is provided through the NSF's Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083), which supports activities that build capacity for science and engineering and broaden participation in research and education.
The key objectives of this 5-year project are to characterize the environmental factors that enable coexistence in synthetic microbial communities and model the underlying mechanisms using modern coexistence theory. The researchers will primarily study microbial communities found in pitcher plants and the sagebrush leaf microbiome, with the goal of informing the creation and maintenance of stable, diverse microbial communities in controlled settings. In addition to the research, the project will engage students and teachers in Idaho, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, through educational activities and training workshops.
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