school of biological sciences royal holloway university of london school seminars 2012-2013

SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Royal HollowayUniversity of London

SCHOOL SEMINARS 2012-2013

http://www.rhul.ac.uk/






AutumnDate Speaker Institution Host16-Nov-12 Kevin Foster Oxford Dr Brown28-Nov-12 Sylvain Gandon Montpellier Prof Jansen12-Dec-12 Alex Webb Cambridge Prof Bogre

School Seminar SeriesMunro Fox Lecture Theatre

Wednesdays 4:00- 5:00







SpringDate Speaker Institution Host09-Jan-12 Amanda Harvey Brunel Dr Devoto23-Jan-12 Claire Russell Royal Veterinary Prof Williams06-Feb-12 Francis Ratnieks Sussex Dr Raine20-Feb-12 Julian Hibberd Cambridge Dr Lopez06-Mar-12 Virpi Lumma Sheffield Dr Ubeda20-Mar-12 Lee Sweetlove Oxford Prof Bramley


Wednesdays 4:00-5:00







FRIDAY 16TH NOVEMBER4 – 5PM, BOURNE LECTURE THEATRE 2

Professor Kevin FosterProfessor of Evolutionary Biology,

University of Oxford“Social evolution in microbes”

Host: Dr Mark Brown ,

School Seminar Series







Social Evolution in Microbes Kevin FosterProfessor of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Oxford Since Darwin, evolutionary biologists have been fascinated by cooperative behaviour. For

example, honeybee workers labour their whole life without reproducing, birds make alarm calls, and humans often help one another. But how cooperative are cells in microbial groups? We study this question using a diversity of systems, including simulation models, pseudomonad bacteria and budding yeast. We find that genetic similarity is an emergent property of microbial groups that grow through simple cell division, which creates favourable conditions for cooperation among cells of a single species. Moreover, we find that microbes can actively adjust both their genetic mixing and investment into social traits in a way that promotes cooperation within a species. However, our models and experiments on the interactions between different microbial species suggest that – between species – the evolution of competitive phenotypes is more important than cooperation. This all suggests a model where microbes are nice to clonemates but not much else.







WEDNESDAY 28th NOVEMBER 4 – 5PM, MUNRO FOX LECTURE THEATRE

Sylvain Gandon Head of the Evolutionary

Ecology and Epidemiolog team CEFE, Montpellier

“Evolution of host defenses against pathogens: space, mothers and drugs”

Host: Prof Vincent Jansen ,









Evolution of host defenses against pathogens: space, mothers and drugs

Sylvain GandonHead of the Evolutionary, Ecology and Epidemiolog team CEFE, Montpellier

Very different defense strategies may evolve against natural enemies. Here we explore the effects of various factors on this evolution. First, we will show how spatial structure can alter the evolutionary epidemiology of host resistance and even favor altruistic host defense strategies. Second, we will study conditions favoring the evolution of maternal transfer of immunity. Finally, we will explore the dilemma facing some bacterial hosts exposed to infections by either pathogens or foreign genetic elements carrying drug resistance







school of biological sciences royal holloway university of london school seminars 2012-2013

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