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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Biology of Microbial Communities - Interview
Published on: May 28, 2007
The role of ecological theory in microbial ecology
James I Prosser1, Brendan J M Bohannan, Tom P Curtis
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, Scotland, UK. j.prosser@abdn.ac.uk
Abstract:
Microbial ecology is currently undergoing a revolution, with repercussions spreading throughout microbiology, ecology and ecosystem science. The rapid accumulation of molecular data is uncovering vast diversity, abundant uncultivated microbial groups and novel microbial functions. This accumulation of data requires the application of theory to provide organization, structure, mechanistic insight and, ultimately, predictive power that is of practical value, but the application of theory in microbial ecology is currently very limited. Here we argue that the full potential of the ongoing revolution will not be realized if research is not directed and driven by theory, and that the generality of established ecological theory must be tested using microbial systems.
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