Themes

The overarching goal of the GEMS Institute is to reintegrate molecular and organismal approaches via research, training, and education in the biology of symbiosis. Our Institute goals are organized into five themes.

Theme 1: Symbiosis dynamics and discovery

We aim to understand the mechanisms driving the evolution and persistence of symbiosis, using model symbiotic systems that contain multiple scales of biological complexity and natural variation. 

This theme will provide the foundational data on natural levels of variation that form the basis for understanding how symbioses contribute to eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature. New computational tools in genomics can be developed in this theme.

We will…

  • Sample and define variation in key players from natural populations to fill gaps required for formulating and testing key hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying multiscale symbiosis.
  • Develop sequencing methods, bioinformatic pathways, and conceptual scaffolds for studying the population genomics of multiscale symbiosis.

Theme 2: Rules of engagement

We aim to understand how multi-scale symbioses respond to disturbance and environmental change. We are studying each composite part of the symbiosis, including microbes and mobile genetic elements, and how each element interacts with its partners as well as the world around it.

This theme targets foundational building blocks toward our long-term goal to predict, from relatively easily obtainable genomic data, the responses of natural populations to disturbance and environmental change.

We will…

  • Nurture genetic toolkits in model and non-model organisms, to ultimately develop generalizable mechanistic frameworks across multiscale symbioses.
  • Delineate the fundamental and diverse roles of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in the evolution of multiscale symbiosis.
  • Determine how diverse microbiomes shape, and are shaped by, interacting MGEs in multiscale symbiosis.

Theme 3: Symbioses as engines of rapid adaptation and eco-evolutionary feedbacks

We aim to quantify the ways in which symbioses are drivers of adaptation and change to their environment, as well as how they respond to additional environmental pressures. We will use diverse methods such as molecular biology, mathematical modeling, and traditional ecological methods, to answer these questions.

This theme will integrate from molecular mechanisms to community dynamics to make evidence-based predictions about the ways that communities respond to environmental change.

We will…

  • Integrate mathematical/computational models and data to study the ecological and evolutionary outcomes of host-microbe interactions.
  • Develop novel methods in symbiosis that facilitate integrative, cross-disciplinary experiments.
  • Establish the feedbacks between symbiosis evolution and ecological changes in communities and ecosystems.

Themes 4 & 5: Integrated education & outreach

We aim to develop and implement educational activities that facilitate GEMS graduate students deepening their understanding of education and engaging with the public to share our research and foster scientific curiosity.

These themes focus on reaching a wide group of individuals (K-16, community, etc), and also include a focus on teacher education and professional learning.

Theme 4: Integrated Education

This theme will transform our training programs to prepare the next generation of scientists to integrate across hierarchical scales to solve complex problems of both scientific and societal concern. Trainees work effectively in interdisciplinary teams and have the knowledge, tools, and skills required to synthesize information across scales.

Theme 5: Outreach

This theme will inform the development of new outreach materials for a wide audience. Our outreach and education plans will cross-pollinate: trainees will be integrated into established outreach programs in which our faculty already actively participate. Training in scientific communication for students and postdocs will be actualized during authentic work with outreach professionals and the public, and assessed by trained education professionals. The flexibility and range of activities will allow our trainees to develop an individualized public engagement portfolio that best meets their career goals.

Across these integrated themes, we will…

  • Design courses and develop curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students based on research and education within the institute.
  • Work with pre-service and in-service high school teachers to design and implement curricula, aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
  • Design new outreach curricula, both for established and new programs. Activities are aimed at grade school through undergraduate audiences.