Biodiversity Research Seminar Series (BRS)
BRS Ben Ashby: Eco-evolutionary dynamics in the microbiome: is the enemy of my enemy my friend?
February 14, 2024, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Zoom webinar recording:
Passcode: ^E4&QK3Q
host: Kayla King
Title: Eco-evolutionary dynamics in the microbiome: is the enemy of my enemy my friend?
Abstract: Microbes across the parasitism-mutualism continuum play a key role in host health. Yet we know relatively little about how the microbiome affects pathogen evolution. This is especially important in the context of biocontrols, where the introduction of a novel microbe, such as a bacteriophage or defensive symbiont, could have a profound impact on pathogen evolution. By giving a high-level overview of some relatively simple theoretical models, I will discuss how manipulating the microbiome can cause fundamental shifts in selection for key pathogen traits such as virulence, and how biocontrols that appear to be beneficial in the short-term may be detrimental in the long-term.