Postdoc | MIT | julia5@mit.edu
Bio
I am interested in how microbial group behaviors emerge from the dynamic interaction of individuals, neighboring cells, and the environment. My training is in microbial physiology, molecular biology and host-microbe interactions. My early work focused on the persistence of symbiotic microbes in micro-environments created by the tissues of an animal host. As a member of PriME I now study how marine microbes cooperate to eat polysaccharides.
Selected Publications:
As part of PriME, I have co-authored several studies linking the group behavior of polysaccharide breakdown to patterns of colonization, assembly, and aggregation in marine microbes.
A. Ebrahimi*, J. Schwartzman*, O.X. Cordero. “Cooperation and spatial self-organization determine rate and efficiency of particulate organic matter degradation in marine bacteria.” Proc Nat Acad Sci. 116.46 (2019): 23309-23316.
A. Ebrahimi*, J. Schwartzman*, O.X. Cordero. “Multicellular behaviour enables cooperation in microbial cell aggregates.” Proc R Soc B 374.1786 (2019): 20190077.
Enke, T. N., M.S. Datta, J. Schwartzman, N. Cermak, D. Schmitz, J. Barrere, A.O. Pascual Garcia, O.X. Cordero. “Modular Assembly of Polysaccharide-Degrading Marine Microbial Communities.” Curr Biol 29.9 (2019): 1528-1535.
Commentary in Current Biology: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.03.056
Highlighted in Science: 10.1126/science.364.6443.847-c
*indicates joint first author
Research Interests
Microbial group behaviors, microscopy, physiology
