Joshua Weitz, UMD Department of Biology

Winning Is not Everything: Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of phage and Bacteria in the Near- and Long-Term

Speaker: Joshua Weitz, UMD Department of Biology

Host: Arpita Upadhyaya

Abstract: 

Viral infections transform the fates of microbial cells, populations, and ecosystems. The infection and lysis of individual microbes releases new virus particles and redirects carbon and nutrients back through the microbial loop. Yet, there is increasing evidence that the ecological outcome of infections is often nuanced and does not necessarily end in rapid lysis. Instead, viral infections include a spectrum of fates including latency, inefficient infections, and infections that fail inside cells. This talk combines insights from mathematical models and field-based evidence to explore how non-lytic outcomes and inefficient infection shapes the influence of viruses on microbial populations and ecosystem functioning.

Seminars start at 4:00 pm, and refreshments will be served at 3:45 pm. All seminars are held in the Conference Room (1116) of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST) Building (Bldg #085) unless otherwise noted.