QLS Seminar - Tue. 21 May at 2:00pm - "Counterintuitive behavior in models of eco-evolutionary dynamics" by Stephen Martis

[Quantitative Life Sciences]

Dear All,

On Tuesday, 21 April at 14:00 CET, Stephen Martis (Memorial Sloan 
Kettering Cancer Center, NY) will give a seminar titled:

*Counterintuitive behavior in models of eco-evolutionary dynamics
*

_Abstract:_

In many large natural ecosystems, the influx of mutations can be 
expected to be quite large (>>1 over the characteristic turnover time of 
the population).  Therefore, we can say that, in such ecosystems, the 
timescales of ecological and evolutionary change are not well 
separated.  Because of this lack of timescale separation, it is possible 
for mutation, selection and ecological dynamics to feedback on one 
another.  In this talk, I will argue that common approaches to modeling 
the mutation process overlook known aspects of biology and thereby 
underestimate the impact of eco-evolutionary feedbacks.  I will propose 
a simple, biologically motivated model of mutation that restores the 
effect of these feedbacks.  When these mutational dynamics are coupled 
to an underlying model of ecology, I will show that the long-term 
behavior of the ecosystem can be impacted in counterintuitive ways.  I 
will demonstrate this in the context of two canonical classes of 
ecological models: 1) asymmetric predator-prey models (an archetype of 
chaotic ecology) 2) consumer-resource models (an archetype of stable 
ecology).  I will argue that similar eco-evolutionary feedbacks might be 
relevant in natural, laboratory, and human health-related ecosystems, in 
particular in phage-bacteria communities and in the clearance of 
pathogens by the adaptive immune system.

_
_
_The seminar will take place in the *Common area*, Ex SISSA building, 
Second floor, via Beirut 2
_
You are all most welcome to attend!

Best regards,
Erica

-- 
Erica Sarnataro
Group Secretary
Quantitative Life Sciences
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)
Trieste,  Italy
Tel. +39-040-2240623
www.ictp.it/research/qls.aspx
e-mail:qls at ictp.it