evolution
“The Hunger Games: E. coli edition” demonstrates how mutualism and cooperative behavior shape species
May. 20, 2022—Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Bacteria, not unlike humans, can take up more resources than necessary. When this happens, synthesized byproducts can leak into the environment. This allows the nearby bacteria to evolve cooperative behaviors, such as using the byproducts as nutrients. Cooperation in bacterial communities has also been previously observed with behaviors...
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...
Vanderbilt 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....
Medical researchers develop new methodology for molecular mechanisms of disease
Mar. 29, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Evolutionary Studies Initiative researcher Eric Gamazon and his former postdoctoral researcher, Dan Zhou (now faculty at Zhejiang University), recently published new software and methodology for understanding the molecular basis of disease. They then applied their work to understanding the genetic basis for COVID-19 severity. The study is...
ESI Group Visits Coon Creek Science Center
Mar. 28, 2022—On Saturday, 3/26/22, a handful of members of the Evolutionary Studies Initiative took a field trip to Coon Creek Science Center (CCSC) to dig for fossils. It was a beautiful day where many trainees that have never studied paleontology got to get out and do some field work. Michael Gibson, a faculty at the University...