Role of microbial interactions during community assembly of the gut microbiota

While the gut microbiota of most animals is strongly conserved at high taxonomy levels, there is extensive intraspecific variation at the level of microbial species or strains. However, the ecological processes involved in maintaining this variability - and consequently the diversity of symbionts - are not well understood. Using a conceptual framework adapted from macroecology, this thesis aims to investigate the importance of bacterial interactions in shaping gut microbiota composition using the honeybee as a model system.