Teaching

MBB 980Q - Of Mice and Microbes: How Microbes Shape Animal Behavior

Semester: Fall
Offered: 2018
Department: Mind, Brain and Behavior
Classes: Wednesday 3-5 pm
Location: William James Hall, Room 950
Credit level: Graduate and undergraduate

Animals constantly interact with an astonishing diversity of microbes, which comfortably surpass the animals themselves in terms of cell counts and especially genetic content. While many interactions may be fleeting encounters in a shared environment, it is the capacity for symbiosis that makes animal‐microbe interactions so special. Microbial symbioses range from highly antagonistic relationships to intimate obligate mutualisms. Across that spectrum, coevolution produces some of the most elaborate adaptations to be found in biology. This course explores a variety of animal‐microbe symbioses through the lens of animal behavioral ecology. Topics may include gut microbiomes and host nutrition; microbial agriculture; host chemical defenses; mind‐controlling parasitoids; host chemical communications; host behavior and symbiont acquisition; and the gut‐brain axis and dysbiosis. The course will explore both proximate mechanisms and ultimate explanations, and will emphasize critical reading of the primary literature.

Link: Course website