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Dr. Mostafa Elshahed is a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. USA. Dr. Elshahed received his BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, and his PhD from the University of Oklahoma at 2001. His research focuses on exploring ecology, evolution, of microbial diversity, with special emphasis on anaerobic environments using genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches. He has published 96 manuscripts and 5 book chapters in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 

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Biodiversity and ecosystem health: Tales from environmental and animal-associated microbiomes
Mostafa Elshahed
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK USA

Microorganisms are the most abundant and ubiquitous forms of life on earth. Assessing and understanding the patterns and determinants of microbial diversity on a global scale is extremely relevant from a basic and applied point of view. Recent studies have demonstrated that within highly complex ecosystems, microbial communities can exhibit bewildering levels of phylogenetic, function, and genetic diversity. In this talk, I will provide an overview of microbial diversity in three highly complex ecosystems: soils, anaerobic sediments, and the bovine rumen, provide an overview of the existing levels of diversity in such ecosystems, and delve into specific examples to highlight how such diversity is crucial for ecosystems health. Finally, I argue that microbial extinctions should be taken into account when assessing loss of biodiversity associated with environmental degradation, deforestation, and other ecosystem encroachments practices.