Current Research
I’m studying how microbial symbiotic communities form and interact within their host organisms. My research specifically looks at how the order in which organisms arrive (known as priority effects) and their genetic differences impact the assembly of these communities. This is important because changes in these microbial communities can lead to significant ecological consequences, such as coral bleaching or intestinal diseases.
To explore these dynamics, I’m using Siphamia tubifer, a fish that hosts a glowing bacterium called Photobacterium mandapamensis in a specialized light organ. Although only this bacterium can colonize the light organ, many different strains of this bacterium exist, making it a great system for studying how microbial communities form at the strain level. My work combines lab experiments with live fish to understand how both environmental factors and symbiont interactions shape these communities.
