Hassan Salem has been awarded a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). The project, SYMBIVORE, will explore why beetles lose genes - only to rely on symbionts instead. SYMBIVORE will take flight in 2026 for a funding period of five years. There will be a number of opportunities to join the lab, so please watch this space for announcements!
Celebratory ice cream!
Breaking bread in Tübingen!
How do animals compensate for trait loss? In beetles, symbiosis is a consistent strategy. Where the repeated loss of endogenous digestive enzymes is offset by functionally convergent symbioses. Excited to share our latest in Current Biology - part of a large collaborative effort, and co-led by Roy Kirsch, Yu Okamura, and Marleny Garcia-Lozano!
Microbes shaped one of the most successful ecological radiations in animals: the herbivorous diversification of beetles. Marleny and Hassan review the topic for Trends in Microbiology in our latest!
