Davide Ciccarese

In 2020 I joined Andrew Babbin lab as Postdoctoral Associate at MIT, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). In 2020 I obtained my PhD at ETH – EAWAG were I worked with David Jhonson and Dani Or.

Besides being a scientist I’m also a Winnerprize writer.

My research interest aims to understand microbial communities’ eco-evolutionary dynamics at the micro-scale and their influence on macro-scale biogeochemical cycles. I use a bottom-up approach within the framework of synthetic ecology using image analysis, microfluidic devices and analytical chemistry. I am currently studying the ecology of microbial aggregates and their contribution to large-scale processes focusing on carbon export and the nitrogen cycle in the Ocean. here.

Screen Shot 2020-03-13 at 14.22.49 — **Journal cover.** Our recent work was selected for the cover of the “Conceptual challenges in microbial community ecology” in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B: link

WHY

The world is powered by an unseen multitude of microbes, characterized by an overwhelming richness. This tireless multitude is specialized in small steps of complex biochemical processes that sustain our home, the planet earth. I’m working with bacterial synthetic communities trying to narrow down to simple rules that explain how the microbial multitude organize themselves into well-structured communities (see some picture here and on instagram) and ultimately shapes the biochemical cycles.

WHAT & HOW

My research goal is to understand how the interplay between microscale processes shapes the microbial communities and influence macro-scale biochemical cycles. I use a bottom up approach within the framework of the synthetic ecology using synthetic microbial model systems.

Want to know more about my research? Click here