Storer Lectureship (Peer Lecture) feat. Patrick Keeling | Sept. 28, 2023

Patrick Keeling is a professor at the University of British Columbia whose research focuses on microbial diversity and evolution. His lab studies the tree of eukaryotes, protist diversity, and the evolution of photosynthesis, symbiosis, and parasitism.

Comparing Parallel Evolutionary Transitions from Photosynthetic Algae to Intracellular Parasitism in Apicomplexans and Dinoflagellates
Photosynthetic algae and obligate intracellular parasites might seem to sit on opposite sides of some spectrum of ecological diversity, but this evolutionary transition has taken place a surprising number of times, and many of the cases come from two closely related lineages, apicomplexans and dinoflagellates. Recent genomic data are starting to show how this transition takes place, and reveal a great number of parallels in the loss of photosynthesis and organelles, and the origin of parasitic life strategies.

About the Series:
The Tracy and Ruth Storer Lectureship in the Life Sciences is the most prestigious of the endowed seminars at UC Davis. Established in 1960, the Storer Endowment makes it is possible to invite distinguished biological scientists to campus to present two lectures and meet with faculty members and graduate students in their field of interest. The series is presented by the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences.