Dr. Andy Moeller. Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University

Host: Sarah Hird

"Host-species specificity in the mammalian gut microbiota"

Dr. Moeller is an evolutionary biologist interested in symbiosis, particularly host-microbe relationships. All multicellular eukaryotes serve as habitats for microbial lineages, which in turn have opened up new adaptive trajectories for their hosts. Vertebrates, for example, harbor diverse communities of microorganisms that have become deeply integrated with their hosts’ metabolic, immune, and neuroendocrine systems. Despite the ubiquity and profound effects of these interactions, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. Which microorganisms coevolve with hosts? What are the genetic bases of the intimate partnerships between host and microbial lineages? How have microorganisms shaped host adaption and diversification? Moeller’s research is aimed at answering these and related questions through a combination of observational and experimental studies in the field and in the lab.

To learn more about Dr. Moeller, see his publication at https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aaf3951 and visit his website at https://www.moellerlab.com/