Common clones: parasite adaptation in heterogeneous host populations
How do parasites adapt to their ever-changing host populations? And can hosts escape this relentless adaptation by their parasites? A common assumption is that parasites adapt to infect the host genotypes that are most common in a population. I'll begin by testing this assumption using experimental evolution with nematodes and bacteria in the lab. I'll then apply this idea to a natural host-parasite interaction in the field by testing for rapid parasite evolution in a biological control system. Finally, I'll share some preliminary data on the hypothesis that hosts can escape these relentlessly adapting parasites in space, by rampant dispersal.
Host: Justyna Wolinska