Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The objective of the Section is to investigate the biological processes of adaptation and diversification in relation to organism development, ecological interactions and evolutionary mechanisms. We explore both terrestrial and marine habitats, and consider diversity at different scales, from molecules to species to communities. A major strength is the focus on the one hand on powerful experimental systems such as the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and on the other hand on modeling to explore interactions between ecological and evolutionary processes and how these influence population dynamics, community diversity and ecosystem function. A further strength is our expertise for the assessment of both genetic and epigenetic phenomena, in the context of genomics. Ultimately, the Section aims to provide an integrated view of the molecular and ecological causes and consequences of evolution.
