Dear Evolunchers,
This is a friendly reminder that there will be 2 Evolunch seminars tomorrow!
Our guest speakers are Luisa Pallares and Otto Cordero. Please find the details about their respective seminars below:
First seminar:
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:
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 Nick
Barton.
We look forward to seeing you all there !
Best regards
The Evolunch Team
Upcoming talks: