Microbial Evolution from Molecules to Ecosystems

Understanding the evolutionary and ecological dynamics that continue to shape the diversity of life is a fundamental motivation of microbial population biology. The body of work that has emerged to tackle this question frequently falls along a spectrum of complexity with two identifiable sides:

On one end, experimentalists use genetically tractable model organisms in controlled systems to engineer and evolve microbes in real time. This “bottom-up” approach can track evolutionary dynamics from the molecular to the community level, and allows an in-depth view into the core processes governing evolution.

On the other end, microbial ecologists go out to the field to sample, sequence, and collect metadata from microbial communities in their native habitats, ranging from human guts to deep sea hydrothermal vents. This “top-down” approach uses a variety of survey-based and computational tools to infer molecular dynamics, community networks, and ecological interactions shaping the evolution of microbes in the wild.

Both approaches complement one another and are crucial to understanding the rules governing evolutionary dynamics at play in microbial ecosystems. This seminar will bring together scientists from across this complexity spectrum to share tools and ideas. By approaching microbial evolution and ecology from an integrative perspective and strategically designing diverse and avant-garde sessions, we aim to stimulate new conversations on core topics in the field, including the structure and function of microbial communities, population genomics, and co-evolutionary dynamics.

The seminar will be held prior to the GRC on Microbial Population Biology. It will include a presentation and Q&A with invited speakers who will share their experience incorporating experimental and field-based approaches in their work.

Note: Please apply early. We expect the conference & seminar to be over-subscribed. Although the official application deadline is not until June 11, we will begin reviewing applications as early as January and hope to have made most decisions by April.