Formal Presentation from minute 0 to 56:36, followed by Q&A and informal discussion.
Speaker: Kenjiro Quides, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis
Experimental Evolution of Rhizobial SymbiontsMicrobes can dramatically alter the fitness of host organisms, with outcomes ranging from
mutualistic to antagonistic depending on the environmental context of the interaction. I use
the legume-rhizobium symbiosis to study context dependence of mutualistic interactions. I
implement multiple approaches to track shifts in rhizobial population composition including
single generation and multi-generation experiments, growth chamber and greenhouse
growth systems, and culture-based and molecular methods. I have developed multiple
research modules that can be adapted for a Course-based Undergraduate Research
Experience (CURE) to foster inclusive excellence in STEM. These modules alone do not make
the CURE. Rather, they can be incorporated into a course that is built on student
collaboration, sharing of data, and communication of findings.
