Ecology and Evolution of Microbial Social Lives

Explore the fascinating world of microbial social behavior in this hour-long seminar by Siobhán O'Brien. Delve into the ecology and evolution of microbial communities, examining topics such as cooperative adaptation to cheating, novel morphotype development, and coevolution experiments. Learn about the impact of heavy metal contamination on microbial populations and the strategies microbes employ to reduce toxicity. Discover insights from laboratory and soil experiments, investigating species exploitation, experimental evolution, and community production dynamics. Gain understanding of selection coefficients, species sorting, and the role of mutations in microbial populations. Engage with thought-provoking questions about iron importance, piocyanin benefits, and fitness assays in microbial ecosystems.