The Microbiome - LIFE96024
Aims
Microbes are vital but understudied components of all ecosystems. Recent extraordinary advances in microbial ecology, fuelled by new sequencing technologies, have resulted in a rapidly expanding field that has implications for a deeper understanding of the natural world. Microbiome research also offers enormous potential for applications to a wide range of industries, including health, agriculture, and industrial processes. The course will summarise the key microbial groups, and describe the ecological and evolutionary ideas that underlie our understanding of microbial communities.
Role
Lecturer
Ecology - LIFE95007
Aims
This course will expose students to the broad diversity of approaches and topics in modern ecology. Major aims are to understand: (a) key ecological issues at different organisational levels: from individuals and populations to communities and ecosystems; (b) the importance of evolutionary and taxonomic insights in ecology; (c) the range of theories that explain how diversity is maintained.
Role
Lecturer
Symbiosis, Plant Immunity and Disease - LIFE96034
Aims
The course will cover the molecular features of a number of representative plant-microbe interactions. Special emphasis will be given to Rhizobium/legume interactions, virus/host interactions, fungal and bacterial diseases and mycorrhizal fungi. The course comprises of a series of lectures, which develop themes relative to each particular type of interaction. These themes will be extended during a series of small group tutorials, which are intended to allow students to develop ideas and produce improved essay work. Students will also be asked to produce two presentations including a literature review, which will require an extensive knowledge of the lecture course together with information gleaned from outside reading from the list of references provided.
Role
Lecturer
Evolution and Diversity - LIFE40008
Aims
- To gain an overall understanding of the tree of life, especially in regards to animals, plants and fungi.
- To understand how the complexity of Eukaryote life has changed both in terms of timescales and evolutionary novelty.
- To gain a more detailed knowledge of the relationships and evolution of certain groups of organisms and how these groups have changed over time.
- To understand how the evolution of photosynthesis has profoundly shaped the diversity of life.
- To understand how phylogenetics is central to our analysis of the relationships between organisms.
Role
Lecturer