Andreas Härer, IEB

The eco-evolutionary implications of host-gut microbiota interactions

My research is mainly focused on how the gut microbiota changes during the ecological and evolutionary divergence of vertebrate host lineages. To this end, I combine the study of wild populations and controlled experiments using model systems in evolutionary ecology such as threespine stickleback, Nicaraguan cichlids, and White Sands lizards. I will present some of my research centered on determining the factors that shape gut microbiota variation among recently diverged host lineages, quantifying the direction and magnitude of gut microbiota shifts associated with ecological divergence of their hosts, and identifying whether and how gut microbiota diversity might affect host fitness. My research contributes to our understanding of how biotic interactions between host organisms and their gut microbiota can affect host ecology and evolution.