Seminar: Trade, Borrow, or Steal: How Acquired Metabolism Drives Microbial Innovation

Abstract: While biologists typically think of an organism's metabolism as hard-wired in its DNA, in reality a vast array of species gain access to additional forms of metabolism through interactions with other species. This acquired metabolism can be obtained through interactions ranging from mutualism to predation, creating opportunities for niche expansion and, ultimately, evolutionary diversification. Microbes—and their hosts—are masters of acquired metabolism: Some develop partnerships mediated by the exchange of metabolites, while others integrate snippets of DNA or even whole, functional organelles into their metabolic repertoire. I'll focus on two examples of acquired metabolism—tree-fungal mutualisms and chloroplast-stealing marine protists—to illustrate how these metabolic exchanges create and maintain microbial diversity on our planet. We'll explore these systems using a combination of field observations (and collections), laboratory experiments, and mathematical models, demonstrating how the synergy between these approaches can give us insight into the mechanisms underlying acquired metabolism.