DEEPA AGASHE
National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru
Deepa Agashe received her Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Garware College, University of Pune, in 2003. Subsequently, she obtained her PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, in 2009. For her thesis, she conducted laboratory experiments with beetles to test the impact of genetic diversity on population dynamics and niche use. For her postdoctoral work, she went to Harvard University, Boston, where she experimentally tested the impact of synonymous mutations in bacterial genes. She returned to India in 2012 and established a research group at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru. Her current work focuses on understanding evolutionary and ecological process using bacterial and insect systems.
SESSION 2B: Inaugural lectures by Fellows/Associates
E D Jemmis, IISc, Bengaluru
Host-microbial associations in a changing world
Eukaryotic hosts are often associated with microbes that enhance their fitness. Although faithful transmission of the microbes across generations is important to establish and maintain the relationship, in some cases the microbes are environmentally acquired. Thus, when hosts disperse to new habitats or switch to a new diet, they may not have access to the appropriate microbes, leading to reduced fitness. In such cases, can the host establish new microbial partnerships? Are such partnerships specific, and how long does the established process require? More generally, how are microbial communities assembled, and (how) does host association influence this process? In this talk, the speaker will discuss her efforts to address these questions in different insects, both in the laboratory and in the field.