Synergy among Microbiota and Their Hosts: Leveraging the Hawaiian Archipelago and Local Collaborative Networks To Address Pressing Questions in Microbiome Research
Nicole A. Hynson,
Kiana L. Frank,
Rosanna A. Alegado,
Anthony S. Amend,
Mohammad Arif,
Gordon M. Bennett,
Andrea J. Jani,
Matthew C. I. Medeiros,
Yuriy Mileyko,
Craig E. Nelson,
Nhu H. Nguyen,
Olivia D. Nigro,
Sladjana Prisic,
Sangwoo Shin,
Daisuke Takagi,
Samuel T. Wilson,
Joanne Y. Yew
Affiliations
Nicole A. Hynson
Department of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Kiana L. Frank
Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Rosanna A. Alegado
Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Anthony S. Amend
Department of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Mohammad Arif
Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Gordon M. Bennett
Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Andrea J. Jani
Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Matthew C. I. Medeiros
Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Yuriy Mileyko
Department of Mathematics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Craig E. Nelson
Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Nhu H. Nguyen
Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Olivia D. Nigro
Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Sladjana Prisic
Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Sangwoo Shin
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Daisuke Takagi
Department of Mathematics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Samuel T. Wilson
Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
Joanne Y. Yew
Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA
ABSTRACT Despite increasing acknowledgment that microorganisms underpin the healthy functioning of basically all multicellular life, few cross-disciplinary teams address the diversity and function of microbiota across organisms and ecosystems. Our newly formed consortium of junior faculty spanning fields such as ecology and geoscience to mathematics and molecular biology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa aims to fill this gap. We are united in our mutual interest in advancing a new paradigm for biology that incorporates our modern understanding of the importance of microorganisms. As our first concerted research effort, we will assess the diversity and function of microbes across an entire watershed on the island of Oahu, Hawai‘i. Due to its high ecological diversity across tractable areas of land and sea, Hawai‘i provides a model system for the study of complex microbial communities and the processes they mediate. Owing to our diverse expertise, we will leverage this study system to advance the field of biology.
