[Seminar] Evolution of physiology: the link between Earth and Life history

Seminar

Title: Evolution of physiology: the link between Earth and Life history

Speaker: Filipa Sousa

Affilition: ITQB NOVA ALUMNI, University of Vienna

Host: Inês C. Pereira Lab

Abstract:

When dealing with microbial evolution, two main aspects can be considered: how the organisms obtain their energy and nutrients from their environment (physiology), and who is the closest ancestor among groups of living organisms (systematics). Current methods based on comparative genomics and mapping of traits onto reference trees, although giving glimpses regarding who does what, or hints regarding possible LGTs events, still fall far short of providing global views of what type of metabolism was first, and, most importantly, how any one given physiological trait evolved into another. At the core of these transitions is the functional diversification of a finite set of “Lego” modules, most of which containing metals and cofactors, that are involved in energy harnessing solutions.

We now know that microbial activity is the major factor responsible for Earth's major cycles (C, N, S) and that geochemical constrains dictate the diversity within microbial communities associated with an environment. It is realistic to assume that since the initial microbial quests to conquer new environments, when they started expanding their physiological solutions, geochemistry was already restraining their possibilities. Thus, to order events of physiological evolution, and close the gap between earth history and life history, the evolution of the natural connection between the two: bioenergetics, has to be addressed.