Anshuman Swain, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Assistant Curator, Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Abstract: This talk will touch upon three different complex systems approaches to look at emergent properties in microbial systems at the cellular, community, and ecosystem levels. First, we will address the paradox of microbial diversity. Using an agent-based model, we explore how antagonistic interactions (toxin production/resistance) shape community assembly. Then, we will investigate microbe-geochemistry interplay on the early Earth using a dynamical systems model that will offer an ecosystem-based explanation for periodic Archean methane 'hazes' linked to the intermittent rise of atmospheric oxygen. Finally, we will use network tools to analyze over 1,800 protein interactomes, revealing emergent 'macroscales', resilient, higher-order structures with low noise, suggesting an evolutionary trade-off: local-scale uncertainty enhances resilience, while macroscale certainty ensures effective information transmission. Together, these projects demonstrate how computational modeling can bridge disparate scales, revealing common principles of interaction, emergence, and adaptation in microbial systems.