Microbial Population Biology

Hi all, To remind you, I will be absent on 3/30 but expect each of you to come to class having read the Turner and Chao, “Prisoner’s dilemma in an RNA virus” paper.  It can be found here: turner chao virus PD As promised I have put together an introductory set of slides providing some [...]

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To reiterate what I assigned in today’s class: For this week’s blog, please find and discuss a scientific report on the potential advantages of sexual recombination.  Please provide a working hyperlink to your article or web resource.

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Scientists Uncover Vast Microbial Diversity of Carnivorous Pitcher Plant The microbial ecosystem inside the carnivorous pitcher plant is vastly more diverse than previously thought according to research published in the March 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Researchers from LouisianaStateUniversity used genomic fingerprinting technology to assess the bacterial diversity inside leaves of [...]

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Hi all, a quick note to say that I’ve updated the syllabus to reflect our best-laid plans for the remainder of the semester. We’ll begin with our leftovers prior to break (immigration and diversification) and then turn to an appropriate spring topic, recombination.

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A reminder that your first exam (worth 15%) is this Thursday in class.  It will be open-book, -blog, -notes but will not be collaborative. To reiterate what I said in class, please prepare by reviewing the central concepts and points from each lecture and from each assigned reading.  Since it is open-book the exam will [...]

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As we discussed in class, please comment this week on your blog whether experimental evolution of microbes (eg Travisano et al) can shed realistic light on macroevolutionary phenomena (eg the Cambrian explosion). As always, be creative. Enjoy!

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