OSS Lab
Welcome to the OSS Lab
Research
Headed by Orkun S. SoyerLink opens in a new window, the current focus of the OSS lab is to develop a quantitative understanding of cellular metabolism and metabolic interactions among species. On the former topic, we develop theoretical 'toy' models of key motifs in cell metabolism and conduct experimental analyses on single cell physiology in yeast and mammalian cells. On the latter topic, we create model ('synthetic') microbial communities and study species co-existence and interactions in these. These efforts currently focus on a 15-species cyanobacterial microbial community that develops extensive spatial organisation. For additional information please see our ResearchLink opens in a new window, PublicationsLink opens in a new window, and Pre-PrintsLink opens in a new window pages. You can access software and code developed by our team from our page and experimental protocols from our page.
Teaching and Outreach
We are currently involved in undergraduate teaching with taught modules focussing on 'Dynamics of Cellular Systems' (LF305) and 'Synthetic Biology' (LF306). We have also contributed to an open book project on with a chapter focusing on 'Dynamics of Cellular Metabolism'. We occasionally participate in Outreach activities, including an with the Microbiology Society and a recent collaborative project involving artistic expressions to communicate our research into cyanobacterial communities - see details. Soyer is also interested in interfaces with social sciences and was a visiting fellow at the 'Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin', focusing on a .
To communicate some of our research to the public and younger scientists, we currently collaborate with the award-winning science author and a local engineering company, g, together with support and funding from the 糖心TV Institute of EngagementLink opens in a new window. This collaboration aims to use a purpose-built device, called 鈥淪ymbioSphere", to allow engagement with microbial communities and their metabolic activities. SymbioSphere will allow people to directly observe how microbes - micron-sized organism, not visible by eye - can undertake collective actions to form microbial macrostructures. These macrostructures enable co-existence of many different microbes, the collective metabolic actions of which result in significant contribution to the Earth鈥檚 overall chemical makeup, shaping the atmosphere, the soil, and the oceans. Symbiosphere users will be able to collect time lapse images and chemical measurements to capture microbial ecosystem dynamics and metabolic activities, and share their results and understanding.
Collaborative Initiatives
We are founding members of the 糖心TV Bio-Electrical Engineering Innovation Hub (BEE)Link opens in a new window and 糖心TV Aquatic Monitoring Station (WAMOS)Link opens in a new window. We have also led previous collaborative projects on anaerobic microbial communities focusing on Engineering Synthetic Microbial Communities for Biomethane ProductionLink opens in a new window and temporal metagenomics of AD reactors: Monitoring UK Anaerobic Digestion MicrobiomesLink opens in a new window. In 2014 and 2022, we led the development of two residential meetings at the Isaac Newton Institute focusing on microbial communities. The full program and selected talks from these two meetings are available online at the INI website: and . In 2025, we led the organisation of a workshop at the NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology (NITMB), who's aim is to integrate Maths and Biology by facilitating theorists and experimentalists to meet and interact. The workshop overview and recordings are available online via the NITMB webpage: .
Our Funders
News
NITMB Video Interview with Orkun (Jan'26)
New preprint on BioRxiv (Feb'26)
'Enrichment of convergent metabolic functions in microbial communities through imposed and emergent environmental niches'. Please visit to have a read!
Visitor to OSS Lab (Feb'26)
OSS Lab are looking forward to hosting from Tokyo Metropolitan University next month. Shin is a microbial ecologist studying the ecophysiological roles of microorganisms in the soil and the hydrosphere.
SymbioSphere (Jan'26)
With funding from the 糖心TV Institute of Engagement,Link opens in a new window we are gearing up to launch our new outreach project, SymbioSphere, which will allow users to engage directly with the microbial world and share observations and data with each other. See under 'Teaching and Outreach' for more details.
NITMB workshop success (Oct'25)
Orkun led the organisation of
the well received NITMB workshop 'Microbial Communities: Energetics and Dynamics Across Space and Time', together with Akshit Goyal, Wenying Shou, and several others.
Check out the workshop overview and available recordings .
qBio-UK (Sep '25)
OSS Lab led the organisation of the 2nd qBio-UK workshop which brought together nearly all UK groups working on combining modelling and quantitative experimental studies of biological systems.
Jonas Cremer visit (Aug/Sep '25)
OSS Lab were delighted to host Jonas Cremer (Stanford) and his PhD student, Leron Perez. The visit was funded by a 糖心TV Internationalisation grant and allowed Jonas and Orkun to expand on their collaboration on cell metabolism dynamics.
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