Thesis supervisor: István Scheuring
Location of studies (in Hungarian): ELTE TTK Centre for Ecological research, Institute of Evolution Abbreviation of location of studies: ELTE
Description of the research topic:
The microbes living in the gut are necessary for the decomposition of food and the effective operation of the immune system. Despite the rapid expansion of knowledge gained in this field, the behavior of the microbial ecosystem living in the intestinal tract and the sensitivity of the community to biotic and abiotic factors are far from clear. Dynamic modeling of the colon community helps in this area. The model: Coupled chemostat model with one-way food intake and one reservoir, with a detailed dynamic description of the microbial community in the chemostats. Questions to be investigated: Effect of food components on community composition in models. Examination of alternative stable states and the transitions between them. How can the previous functional state be restored after an infection and/or antibiotic treatment? How can the immune system help with stability?
Required language skills: English Further requirements: Further requirements: Basic knowledge ion biology and microbiology. Basic knowledge of some programming language and an aptitude for mathematical modeling.