Project Grant 2622347

The National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology awarded Florida Atlantic University $542,898 on September 1, 2026, for collaborative research on the theoretical foundations of microbial evolution under variable conditions in biological soil crusts.

The project integrates ecological and evolutionary modeling, computer simulations, genomic data, and artificial intelligence to reveal how biocrust communities change across scales, from genes and microbes to whole landscapes. Biological soil crusts—living communities of microbes, lichens, mosses, and other organisms on soil surfaces—bind soil particles, regulate water movement and atmospheric carbon and nitrogen cycles, and support plant establishment and productivity in water-limited drylands. The research will develop an integrated theoretical and computational framework, combining stochastic computational models to advance eco-evolutionary theory with machine-learning approaches, to understand how microbiomes evolve and persist under environmental variability. Insights will guide restoration and land management of fragile dryland ecosystems. The project includes educational engagement integrating ecology, evolution, genomics, computer modeling, and artificial intelligence to address real-world environmental problems.

Performance occurs in Davie, Florida, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031. This award is funded under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), which supports basic research to promote progress in biological sciences and strengthen the Nation's scientific enterprise.