Interactions in the microbiome

The research in Johan Bengtsson-Palme's group concerns microbial communities, their interactions and how stable they are to perturbations such as exposure to antibiotics. The lab, which is affiliated with University of Gothenburg and Chalmers, integrates large-scale molecular methods with ecological theory and bioinformatics to understand the development and spread of antibiotic resistance, how competition between species can result in more aggressive bacteria and how microbial communities respond to disturbances. Our goal is that an increased understanding of interactions in microbial communities will lead to better treatment of diseases associated with the human microbiome and enable monitoring of future threats to human health.