Seminars
The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department has been working hard and monitoring, as well as planning, for COVID-19/Coronavirus and the safety of the UCLA community. We understand that we live in very uncertain times and with news about the virus changing frequently, we appreciate your cooperation. Please know the department is committed to working in everyone’s best interest—students, faculty, staff, and community at large.
March 8, 2023
12:00pm, PST 1100 TLSB and Zoom
Eric Caldera
UCLA, Dept of EEB
" Bacterial symbioses across terrestrial and marine habitats, with adventures in undergraduate mentorship "
Eric Caldera is an evolutionary ecologist researching the coevolutionary process within microbial symbioses using a combination of genomics, metagenetics, ecological interactions and field work. Eric will discuss the coevolutionary dynamics by which bacterial symbionts of fungus-farming ants maintain antibiotic potency against specialized pathogens, specifically addressing how patterns of local adaptation within the Panama Canal-zone comport with diversity in the core genome and transient biosynthetic gene clusters. In addition, Eric will examine how the fungus-farming ant symbiosis parallels a defensive symbiosis between cyanobacteria and marine isopods. Finally, Eric is committed to increasing diversity in STEM and marine science, and will highlight his mentorship of underrepresented, first generation and community college students through research.
Host: Karen Sears