Today's Messages

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar “Dispersal and ecology of yeasts - the importance of avian vectors and wetland soils”, presented by Dr. Kaitlin Fisher on Monday, April 13, at 3:00 p.m. in SAMC 151.

Research Seminar Abstract: Relative to filamentous fungi, little is known about the ecology and dispersal of yeasts. Many yeast taxa are thought to have broad geographic distribution, but little is known about how yeasts manage to disperse across long distances or the extent to which yeasts in different habitats exhibit undergo of local adaptation. Given that yeasts are well-represented amongst both established and emerging fungal pathogens, studying these processes may be helpful in understanding the drivers of global increases in fungal disease burden. My talk will describe how my lab is testing two specific hypotheses regarding the emergence and spread of potential yeast pathogens: 1) are wetland soils hotspots for the evolution of antifungal resistance and 2) are migratory birds important vectors of long-range yeast dispersal?