How does spatial differentiation of ecotypes enhance microbial mutualism?

The National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology awarded the Institute for Systems Biology $1,585,262 on September 1, 2026, under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to investigate how spatial differentiation of ecotypes enhances microbial mutualism and cooperation within microbial communities. Research will use a model synthetic community of sulfate-reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrio vulgaris) and methanogenic archaea (Methanococcus maripaludis) to test the hypothesis that microbial mutualism improves through interplay of spatially and physiologically differentiated ecotypes within the same species. Outcomes will provide a blueprint for engineering stable, productive synthetic communities deployable across the bioeconomy—including renewable biogas production, agricultural bio-stimulants, industrial waste upcycling, and critical mineral recovery. The project runs through August 31, 2029, and is performed in Seattle, Washington. The award funds training for six high school student interns, three teachers, and 300 student ambassadors across all 50 states through on-site and online internships and the Systems Thinkers in STEM Ambassadorship program. Participants will develop a Next Generation Science Standards-aligned curriculum module connecting microbial ecology, systems thinking, and computational modeling to real-world challenges, with cross-disciplinary training in systems biology, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.

Abstract

This project will investigate how cooperation among microbial species become more stable and productive over time. Microbes are major drivers of ecosystem function, recycling carbon, nitrogen, and minerals including rare earth metals. This project will investigate a central but poorly understood mechanism through which members of the same species specialize to perform specific tasks, divide labor, and improve productivity of the entire community. Decoding the rules that govern this specialization will transform the ability to rationally engineer microbial communities for biotechnology, materials science, and energy production. Specifically, outcomes of this research will provide a blueprint for engineering stable, productive synthetic communities that can be deployed across the bioeconomy?from the production of renewable biogas and agricultural BIO-stimulants to industrial waste upcycling and critical mineral recovery. Notably, the project will train six high school student interns, three teachers, and 300 student ambassadors drawn from across all 50 states through on-site and on-line internships and the established systems thinkers in stem ambassadorship (stisa). Participants will develop a next generation science standards (ngss)-aligned curriculum module that connects microbial ecology, systems thinking, and computational modeling to real-world challenges. The cross-disciplinary training of students in systems biology, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology, will help generate a workforce required for tackling the most pressing challenges of the future. Using a model synthetic community (syncom) of a sulfate-reducing bacterium (desulfovibrio vulgaris, DV) and a methanogenic archaeon (methanococcus maripaludis, MM), researchers will test the hypothesis that microbial mutualism improves through the interplay of spatially and physiologically differentiated ecotypes within the same habitat. Prior work demonstrated that few mutations selected over a short evolutionary timescale (100 countries, while measuring key performance indicators, including numbers of students and teachers impacted, student learning, and stem identity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.