From Resources to Stability: A Model for Microbial Ecosystems

Synopsis

Microbial ecosystems, such as those found in the human gut, exhibit remarkable stability despite their complexity. In my talk, I'll present a mathematical model to explain the stability and diversity of microbial communities through the dynamics of resource consumption. By focusing on the molecular resources bacteria utilize and the waste products they generate, the model shows how bacterial diversity increases over time, stabilizing the ecosystem. New bacterial species can only survive if they exploit available resources more effectively than those already present, leading to fewer extinctions in mature communities. This approach offers a fresh perspective on microbial ecosystems, suggesting that resource flow, rather than competition or cooperation among bacteria, is key to understanding their stability.

Goyal and Maslov, PRL  2018. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.158102