Lichens are among the most ancient and fascinating examples of complex microbial networking. In lichens, an algal or cyanobacterial photobiont tightly physically associates with a fungal mycobiont to establish an intimate mutualistic interaction. In this project, we will employ comparative genomics and transcriptomics to identify carbohydrate-binding proteins and antimicrobial proteins from a Peltigera mycobiont and uncover how they shape establishment and maintenance of a lichen community. Our approach will combine a biochemical and functional analysis of candidate proteins with their application in the establishment of a synthetic microbial consortium.