Thread by @BlaiVidiella

Finally, my thesis is submitted! This is the first step towards the Terraformation of our own planet to make it habitable again (@CSLab_UPF)! Thanks to @ricard_sole, @JosepSardanyes & and Núria Conde for all the efforts joined during this long journey! [1/12]

During the Anthropocene, the management performed by human societies has driven the planet to its collapse. Two examples studied are the plastisphere (shorturl.at/ntHV9) and the desertification induced by global warming (shorturl.at/qA167). [2/12]

As a solution, we have explored the possibility to Terraform our planet. To do so, we have reviewed different possibilities proposed from restoration ecology to the ideas proposed for our neighbor planet, the once blue Mars. [3/12] mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/2…

In order to perform the Terraformation of the ecosystems, we propose the engineerization of microorganisms able to change the ecosystem’s state (i.e. water availability or degrading toxins), the keystone species. [4/12] dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.1…

Results from analytical and computational models show that tipping points could be shifted (resilience increase) or even change their type (i.e. catastrophic to smooth). Even maintaining their warning signals to monitor the responses of ecosystems. [5/12] doi.org/10.1098/rsos.2…

We have explored the dynamical ghosts appearing in the tipping points. We have shown that ghosts can exist in the green-desert transition shorturl.at/qtyZ2 the trophic chain extinctions shorturl.at/qKQWX and cooperator-parasite systems shorturl.at/lwER0 [6/12]

One of the important parameters found to be relevant is the replication rate of the synthetic strain vs their wildtype version. Determining the failure of the Terraformation or the possibility to have bistable systems between engineered-healthy states and degraded ones. [7/12]

For this reason, we explored the possibility to engineer Self-Organized Criticality to produce very heterogeneous synthetic populations shorturl.at/hsBY1 & distributed systems using synthetic consortia (i.e. engineering Associative learning shorturl.at/fsKO9) [8/12]

The complete research performed around this Terraformation thesis expands beyond the articles exposed above. Some examples are the observation of ghosts in discrete chaotic systems, ecological networks changing with seasons, or applications of Synthetic SOC for #SynBio [9/12]

Thanks to all the collaborators! [10/12] @ftmaestre @MiguelBerdugo1 @vdlorenzo_CNB @svalver @SDuranNebreda @ToniGuillamonG @Daniel_R_Amor

I also want to thank all the institutions that have made possible this research by hosting me at some point in these years such as @IBE_Barcelona @UPFbiomed @the_prbb @CRMatematica @sfiscience @B2science @labsubcanfranc! [11/12]

Finally, thanks to @bertatg_ for designing the awesome cover that gives all this scientific work an outstanding look! It is even better than in my first imagination! instagram.com/bertatg/ [12/12]