My research interests revolve around microbial ecology, the interaction of microbial communities and their evolution as human pathogens. I use a combination of modern molecular microbiology (PCR, next-generation sequencing, etc.) to attempt to understand the processes of molecular evolution of these pathogens as well as the evolution of drug resistance in these pathogens. More specifically, I am interested in understanding how climate change affects affects the natural evolution of microbes .

KEYWORD: biodiversity, ecology and evolution

Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Other Biological Sciences

In contrast to native fungi in their centre of origin, pathogen epidemics and outbreaks are studied in great detail, and this has distorted our understanding of genetic diversity in natural populations of fungi. The environment has a significant impact on the spread of infections and also has a lot to say about how fungi interact and adapt for survival. Climate has a significant environmental impact on a location's ecosystem, and ecosystems respond to changing climate in complex ways we do not yet understand. Climate change is thought to increase the geographical spread of pathogenic fungi, the fungus gradually adapts to rising temperatures and increases the number of organisms that can cause disease. It can also cause a convergence of factors that can drive the emergence of new pathogens.

I am looking for projects that would be interested in describing the evolution of fungi in their natural environment.

biodiversity, ecology and evolution

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