WP 1.2 The Influence of Invasive Species on Host-Associated Microbiomes

project description

Species invasions are one of the biggest causes of ecosystem change. Rapid climate shifts will result in redistributions of plant and animal species, changing the natural world beyond recognition and causing massive ecological and economic consequences. Invasive plants and animals have the potential to alter microbial ecosystems where they invade, but so far, most studies of these effects were limited to a few introduced pathogens that hitchhiked on invasive plants and animals.

Our central goal is to answer fundamental questions about how native and introduced microbiomes interact to influence the ecological and economic outcomes of biological invasions. For this we will focus on two plant systems as model experimental systems, using a range of methods from molecular omics to experimental microbiome manipulation to investigate the potential roles of the microbiome in invasion success.

work package leader