Special announcement: TWO Evolunch seminars next week!

[Evolunch seminar]

Dear Evolunchers,

It is our great pleasure to announce that there will not be one, but two Evolunch seminars next week!!

Our guest speakers are Luisa Pallares and Otto Cordero. Please find the details about their respective seminars below:

First seminar:

Luisa Pallares

MPI Evolutionary Biology

Exploring the environment-dependent nature of genotype-phenotype maps in Drosophila

Wednesday, 29th May, 2024

11:00 CET

 

Ballroom, ISTA

Hybrid Meeting (zoom link here)

Abstract: Genotype-phenotype maps are a core concept in evolutionary biology, however building comprehensive maps for complex traits is challenging given the large samples sizes and precise environmental control that is needed to find small effect associations between genetic and phenotypic variation. We are using outbred Drosophila melanogaster populations to bypass such limitations and dissect the genetic basis of complex traits. I will discuss first, the degree to which genotype-by-environment interactions are core to understanding G-P maps, and second, our ongoing efforts to understand the environmental and genetic basis of phenotypic robustness, going from gene expression to developmental to functional robustness.

Luisa's Biography can be found here.

To meet with Luisa, please sign-up here. 

Second seminar:

Otto Cordero

MIT

Towards a systems-level understanding of microbial ecosystems

Wednesday, 29th May, 2024

15:00 CET

 

Ballroom, ISTA

Hybrid Meeting (zoom link here)

Abstract: Fueled by technological advances in genome sequencing, microbiology has been revolutionized by a surge in microbiome studies across virtually all environments, from soils to oceans and, of course, humans. This young science (~20 years) is beginning to transition from its early descriptive stages, where research was driven mainly by data-products, to one focused on generating appropriate theory-based syntheses. Such syntheses are being used to design and engineer synthetic microbiomes to solve problems related to human health and environmental sustainability.
            In this seminar, I will provide an overview of the work my research group has done in this realm, especially in the context of marine microbiomes. I will highlight two aspects a) the development of coarse-graining schemes to describe microbiome structure and to predict metabolic fluxes, and b) the emergence of mutualistic interactions between bacterial species. With respect to the first aspect, I will present both experimental and computational approaches developed in my laboratory to identify groups of species with coherent metabolic functions. I will show how, when described at the level of such groups, the mapping between abiotic parameters and biotic variables is more stable and predictable. With respect to the latter aspect, I will present unpublished result showing the widespread emergence of mutualistic interactions between bacteria that degrade fucoidan, one of the most complex and recalcitrant organic molecules in the ocean. I will conclude by briefly outlining future research directions.

Biography:

Otto Cordero is interested in the biological and ecological processes that govern the assembly and collective function of microbial communities, in particular those that colonize and break down complex forms of organic matter in the environment. His laboratory addresses this challenge by developing novel model systems that allow the study of microbial communities at microbial scales, and by using advanced computational techniques to leverage the information encoded in microbial genomes. In 2017, Cordero co-founded PriME, a new Simons Collaboration that brings together physicists, biologists and engineers to decipher the rules that govern the assembly and functioning of marine microbial ecosystems.

Otto X. Cordero received a B.S. in computer and electrical engineering from the Polytechnic University of Ecuador, an M.Sc. in artificial intelligence from Utrecht University, and a Ph.D. in theoretical biology, also from Utrecht University. In 2014 Cordero received the ERC Starting grant in Europe and in 2015 he moved to MIT, where he has since been a member of the faculty. Cordero is a past Sloan Fellow in Ocean Sciences and recipient of the Simons Early Career Award in Marine Microbial Ecology.

If you wish to meet with Otto, please email Evan.C...@ist.ac.at

We look forward to seeing you all there !

Best regards

The Evolunch Team