Symbiotic microbes, such as bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, live on or within “macrobial” host tissues. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a host lacking microbial symbionts. Importantly, these microbial symbionts often play vital roles in the lives of their hosts, us humans included. Yet, we lack a general understanding of how microbes themselves evolve, not to mention how their evolution impacts the host traits we care most about, including health. 

The SyM³ Lab explores the genomic mechanisms behind microbes’ ability to adapt and evolve under a rapidly changing environment. With the use of experimental evolution and various genomic techniques, we aim to investigate the intertwined nature of host-symbiont (co)evolution to better understand and expand the theories explaining macrobial evolution.

The SyM³ Lab is composed of trainees from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, from first year undergraduate to grad students and postdocs, who share a common interest in evolutionary biology, microbial ecology, and bioinformatics. We place an emphasis on building a community where trainees can cultivate their own networks, learn new skills, and take leadership roles, all while enjoying a positive working environment.