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Associate professor Larisa DeSantis to give prestigious scientific talk in Ireland
Jul. 13, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Larisa DeSantis ā associate professor of the biological sciences & Earth and environmental sciences departments ā will be giving the Royal Irish Academy Discourse Lecture on Monday, July 18th at 2pm central time. The Royal Irish Academy is good company to keep ā including famous evolutionist Charles Darwin....
Ben Bratton Faculty Profile
May. 25, 2022—Benjamin Bratton is a new assistant professor at VUMC in the pathology, microbiology, and immunology department. He studies single cell microbial biology. āIām really excited about how bacteria thrive. Most people want to kill the bacteria, but I want to know why they donāt die,ā he explained. āBacteria grow so fast theyāre a great place...
Researchers suggest that complex bird songs might require large populations
Apr. 28, 2022—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Growing up in a small community has its advantages, but if you want to learn from world experts, you may have better luck in a big city. This is the case in the world of birds as well. Large populations of birds might be better able to...
Trainees of ESI receive high praise
Apr. 8, 2022—By: Andy Flick Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator We congratulate all trainees who applied for grants this cycle regardless of the result. Putting together major grants is hard work and a feat in and of itself. So, for those that didnāt get funded, keep your heads up, we still think youāre awesome! For the NSF...
Ā鶹APP researchers use new method to target potentially undiscovered beneficial therapeutic chemicals
Apr. 5, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator A team of researchers from the Eichman lab and associated with the Evolutionary Studies Initiative led a project that was recently published in mBio. Graduate student Noah Bradley and undergraduate student Katie Wahl (BA21, BCB) were co-first authors on the work studying chemical compounds produced by bacteria....
Researchers aim to define host-parasite interactions by modeling the effects of coinfection on community dynamics
Feb. 14, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Research conducted at Ā鶹APP has been published in a new study inĀ The American Naturalist that models how parasites interact to affect their hostās behavior. The results of the research,Ā conducted by Faith Rovenolt, BAā20, and Ann Tate, assistant professor of biological sciences, reinforce an understanding of the influence...
Microbiologists collaborate on new interdisciplinary research program
Feb. 13, 2022—By: Dr. Andy Flick, scientific coordinator Evolutionary Studies InitiativeĀ Big surprises can come from the smallest packages, for example, microbes. Assistant professors Drs. Megan Behringer and Benjamin Bratton have formed a collaboration to study the evolution of E. coli – funded by a pilot grant from the Evolutionary Studies Initiative (ESI). The pair use a...
Graduate student studies lifestyle-associated diseases as evolutionary mismatch
Feb. 1, 2022—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Audrey Arner, a first-year Ph.D. student in Dr. Amanda Leaās lab, recently earned a pilot research grant from the Evolutionary Studies Initiative (ESI) to study the evolutionary mismatch hypothesis. Arner described evolutionary mismatch as, āthe same allele that was beneficial in the ancestral environment could be detrimental...
Seven awards given in inaugural Evolutionary Studies Initiative pilot grant program
Jan. 24, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator The Evolutionary Studies Initiative (ESI) has awarded seven grants to researchers in the initiative. These grants will seed new projects and collaborations. We highlight a quick snapshot of the variable and exciting projects below ā with links to full stories on three individual projects. ESI director, Cornelius...
Ā鶹APP Researchers Combine Paleontology and Fluid Physics to Uncover Ediacaran Nurseries
Dec. 21, 2021—Knowing how life worked on Earth 550 million years ago can give perspective on how life could evolve on other planets. Geobiologist and Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental SciencesĀ Simon DarrochĀ and postdoctoral researcherĀ Brandt GibsonĀ are working to figure that out.Ā āAt the broadest scale, understanding how, when, and why complex life evolved on this planet gives...