ECOL427

043270

Mammals, including humans, co-exist with trillions of microbes that inhabit various locations in and around their bodies. These microbes have co-evolved with their hosts to fulfill both their own requirements of life as well as those of their hosts. This course explores the ecology and evolution of mammals and their microbes and serves as an introduction into the field of microbiome research. We will focus on understanding interactions between mammals, their microbes, and their broader environment, addressing questions like: What are the different types of microbial communities that mammals have? How do these communities differ in composition and function? Can the microbiome influence host evolution and adaptation? Students in this course will engage with primary research articles, review papers, popular science, data visualization, and get to explore real microbiome data.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Undergraduate

ECOL 182L and 182R.