The Microbiology of Animal Speciation: My talk at the University of Utah
The microbiome sciences are at an inflection point in which largely descriptive studies of microbial associations with phenotypes are transcending to functional studies in which microbes are shown to play a causal role in those phenotypes. Kevin Kohl and Denise Dearing at the University of Utah's Department of Biology are doing innovative work on the function of gut microbes in mammals, namely how gut bacteria allow woodrats to eat poisonous plants. I'm fortunate to say that Kevin is also considering spending time in our lab with his NSF postdoc fellowship. The visit made a big impression on me. The Department is top notch in evolutionary biology/ecology and the city has great views and very happy people! My meetings with Mike Shapiro (evolutionary development), Colin Dale (symbiosis), and Dale Clayton (coevolution), and Nitin Phadnis (speciation geneticist) were also memorable.
Kevin and Denise invited me out to Salt Lake for a Super Seminar Bash (delicious food and beverages to accompany the seminar) on September 4, 2014. The biology group showed up in droves, and we had a sensational time discussing the Origin of Species, Wolbachia, and the Hologenome concept of evolution. Here's the talk:
No comments:
Post a Comment