My research focuses broadly on ecological and evolutionary aspects of microbial collective behaviors, and uses a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. I am working with Mike Travisano in order to understand ecological and evolutionary aspects of the 'major evolutionary transition' from unicellular to multicellular forms by experimentally evolving a number of microbial taxa towards multicellularity. In particular, we are interested in understanding the degree to which different unicellular species converge upon similar forms when evolving towards multicellularity, or arrive at entirely different solutions due to their different evolutionary histories. We are also interested in understanding the ecological challenges and opportunities that arise from the transition from unicellular to colonial or multicellular life in these fast-evolving populations.
University of Minnesota
http://www.umn.edu/
612-625-5000
http://www.umn.edu/
612-625-5000