Page 7 - MDC Abstract Book & Guide

Speakers Bios & Presentation Abstracts Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe Université de Sherbrooke
Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe has recently started a position as Assistant Professor at Université de Sherbrooke, in Quebec. She is specialized in microbial ecology, community ecology, bioinformatics, and biostatistics. Isabelle a Canada Research Chair Tier 2 in Applied Microbial Ecology.
Presentation Title
Impact of Host-microbe Interactions on Ecosystem Functions
Abstract
High‐throughput sequencing methods has provided a mean to quantify the structure, diversity, and function of
microbial communities with accuracy, and our understanding of the roles of host‐microbe associations for host
fitness and function has advanced considerably. Nonetheless, few studies have provided an integrative inter-
kingdom (i.e. beyond bacterial communities) perspective of host-microbe interactions and their role in driving
ecosystem functions. As recent studies consider eukaryotes in their surveys, it is becoming increasingly clear that
eukaryotes play important ecological roles in the microbiome as well as in host health. In this webinar, I will discuss
new evidence on eukaryotes as fundamental species in two ecosystems: (1) the phyllosphere and (2) the human gut;
and emphasize that future microbiome studies should characterize the multitrophic interactions between
microeukaryotes, other microorganisms, and the host. I will first illustrate how global change is impacting host-
microbe interactions, providing a unique study of sugar maple leaf and root bacterial and fungal epiphytes and
endophytes along the species’ distribution range. Then I will provide a more integrated view on gut microbiomes,
the factors that shape them, and the mechanisms by which they relate to health and disease.
Jesse Shapiro Université de Montréal
Jesse Shapiro holds the Canada Research Chair in Microbial Evolutionary Genomics. His research has led to a more unified concept of speciation – the origins of new species. He has developed computational tools to link bacterial genotypes and phenotypes, using these tools to identify mutations causing antibiotic resistant tuberculosis. His current work tracks bacterial evolution and ecology in real time, contributing to better clinical diagnostics and helping to predict harmful cyanobacterial blooms.
Presentation Title
Does Diversity Beget Diversity in Microbiomes?