“In the Currie Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison our research explores the diversity, ecology, and evolution of symbiotic associations and microbial symbionts. Our favorite symbiosis is associated with the well-known and charismatic leaf-cutter ants. Leaf-cutters can form massive colonies, composed of millions of workers, using fresh leaves as substrate to farm fungus for food. This amazing ant-fungus association is a textbook example of interspecies cooperation and was first described in the 19th Century.
“Starting with my own doctoral work, we have spent the last two decades exploring the complex associations that occur within this symbiosis, including discovering and describing the presence of two other integral symbionts: i) parasitic fungi that exploit the ants’ fungus garden, and ii) mutualistic bacteria that produce antibiotics that inhibit the parasitic fungus. In my talk, I will present on our latest research exploring the coevolution, microbial and chemical ecology, and just simply surprising biology of this complex symbiosis.”
Extra Good Stuff: After the Q&A, Cameron will be offering a tour of the newly-renovated Microbial Place at the Microbial Science Building (1550 Linden Drive), with a focus on the leaf-cutter ant colony. We’ll walk over to MSB from Genetics Biotech Center—about a 300 yard walk.About the Speaker:Cameron Currie is the Ira L. Baldwin Professor of Bacteriology at UW-Madison. He earned a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta, an MS in Entomology from UA, and his PhD in Botany from the University of Toronto.===
Next week (February 12) we welcome a special guest, Professor Maria Orive of the Univeristy of Kansas. She is the keynote speaker for UW’s 2020 Darwin Days and will be speaking on “Replicating Viruses and Adapting Clones: Making Sense of Biology with Math.”
Description: There are two major ways that we can use mathematical models to make sense of biology: as a tool to explain what we do see, and as a framework for predicting what we might see.The first of these allows specific tests of hypotheses, and the second allows us to generate hypotheses. Using examples from viral infection within a human host and from organismal adaptation under environmental change, we consider how building dynamical mathematical models let us describe biological systems that change over time.These models can help us understand why the number of viral particles within the host might decrease initially even without application of a drug therapy, or to predict whether organisms that can reproduce in multiple ways, such as many plants and marine invertebrates, will have an easier or harder time adapting to a sudden environmental change.Using mathematical models allows us to address questions where it is really important to have clear answers or good hypotheses: in studies of disease, and in studies of environmental change and the invasion of new species.Full schedule of Darwin Days at https://evolution.wisc.eduNote: arrive early on February 12 for saccharomycetic refreshments and to chat with evolution researchers about their research posters.Hope to see you this week at Wednesday Nite @ The Lab!Tom Zinnen
Biotechnology Center & Division of ExtensionUW-Madison===UW-Madison: 5.8 million owners, one pretty good public land-grant teaching, research and extension university.
Visit UW-Madison’s science outreach portal at science.wisc.edu for information on the people, places & programs on campus that welcome you to come experience science as exploring the unknown, all year round.Here are the components of the WN@TL User’s Guide:1. The live WN@TL seminar, every Wednesday night, 50 times a year, at 7pm CT2. The live web stream at biotech.wisc.edu/webcams3. The WN@TL YouTube channel4. WN@TL on the University Place broadcast channel of PBS Wisconsin5. WN@TL on the University Place websiteTo invite your friends to subscribe to the WN@TL listserve, ask them to send an email to join-wednesday-nite-at-the-lab@lists.wisc.edu
The Upcoming WN@TL LineupMark Your Calendars…Share with Your Friends
