Catherine Pfister, PhD (UChicago): Schmidt AI in Science Speaker Series

Organized by the University of Chicago’s Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship Program.

Agenda
4:00pm – 4:45pm:  Presentation
4:45pm – 5:00pm:  Q&A
5:00pm – 5:30pm: Reception

Meeting location
William Eckhardt Research Center. Room 401
5640 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
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Title: Marine host species and their microbial partners: complex networks in the ocean

Abstract: A key paradigm shift occurring in biology is the discovery that species across a variety of ecosystems host diverse microbial taxa. It is altering our view on how a species evolves, how it contributes to global biogeochemical cycles, and how it contends with environmental stress. While ecologists have always recognized that species occur as network of interacting entities in ecosystems, the addition of microbial partners builds complexity in this species network. Further, all species have the potential to change the local environment and the metabolisms available to other members of the network. The resultant high dimensional data are an analysis challenge and is compounded by the recognition that global change alters how species interact. I will discuss the kelp forest species that has been the focus of my recent research and our approaches, both empirical and computational, to understand how warming surface ocean affects the fate of and their interactions.

Bio: Pfister is a Professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Ecology & Evolution. Her research encompasses the dynamics of coastal marine species and their responses to a changing environment, including the microbial network that accompanies conspicuous coastal marine species.