Dissecting the implications of endosymbiont interactions for host fitness. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of interactions between two endosymbionts - mitochondria and Wolba

Description

Dissecting the implications of endosymbiont interactions for host fitness. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of interactions between two endosymbionts - mitochondria and Wolbachia. All animals have mitochondria, and many carry the reproductive parasite Wolbachia. Each endosymbiont has profoundly shaped the evolutionary fitness of their hosts. Remarkably, however, each has been studied through different paradigms that ignored the capacity for the endosymbionts to directly interact to manipulate host function. Via an innovative approach, this project expects to generate new knowledge of the modes and mechanisms via which endosymbionts evolve, and the implications for their animal hosts. Expected benefits are results that directly inform the development of novel strategies for pest control.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology. Lead: Prof Damian Dowling