Event

Abstract: Understanding how animals reproduce and develop has remained a central tenet of biology for nearly two centuries. Early studies focused on how eggs divide, cells differentiate, and tissues form three-dimensional structures. These morphological investigations shifted a half-century ago to determine the genomic basis of embryonic and adult body plans, how regulatory networks change over evolutionary time, and how the environment shapes the phenotype. Conceptually integrating embryology, evolution, and ecology has allowed for reproduction and development to be studied in a more natural setting. What has only become apparent in the last decade is that microbial symbionts are linked to nearly every aspect of animal reproduction and development. This seminar will outline the circumstances under which sea urchins—a prickly ocean invertebrate—utilize microbial symbioses for reproduction and development, and when the contrary occurs. This will entail field and laboratory studies, molecular biology, animal manipulations, molecular biology, multi-omics, microscopy, and modeling. I hope to demonstrate that development and symbiosis are deeply rooted and that sea urchins are a powerful system to study these partnerships.