A Microbial World's View on Biological Evolution
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Purificación López-García, Ph.D.
Research Director, CNRS
Université Paris-Saclay
In 1992, Purificación López-García defended her thesis in biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid . She carried out her postdoctoral research at the University of Paris-Sud , the Pierre and Marie Curie University and the Miguel Hernández University . She joined the CNRS in 2002. She has been a research director at the CNRS since 2007 in the ecology, systematics and evolution unit. She is interested in the diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms in various ecosystems and their evolution since the origin of life on Earth . She is part of the European SINGEK (Single cell genomics) project .
The DEEM team, initially co-founded by Puri Lopez-Garcia and David Moreira, is one of the seven research components in the Ecology, Systematics and Evolution unit (UMR 8079, CNRS – Université Paris-Saclay – AgroParisTech) now at the IDEEV site (Gif-sur-Yvette, France).
Summary
Molecular approaches including sequencing of amplified marker genes, metagenomics and single-cell genomics have uncovered an astounding diversity of prokaryotes and microbial eukaryotes in natural ecosystems. Many of these correspond to previously unknown lineages lacking cultured representatives. Functional predictions from genomic sequences often reveal unsuspected metabolic capabilities. The integration of this information with sequence-inferred distribution patterns, direct observation and/or cultivation is extremely valuable to understand the ecology of these lineages and their role in biogeochemical cycles. In addition, newly identified lineages that occupy pivotal positions in the tree of life can be useful to better resolve relationships among taxa and infer the evolution of life history traits. I will discuss selected examples from my lab of newly identified lineages across the three domains of life that shed new light on major evolutionary diversifications.
Presentation Objectives:
- To comprehend the real extent of microbial diversity across the three domains of life: Archaea, Bacteria, Eucarya.
- To appreciate how newly identified lineages in the tree of life can shed light on evolutionary and ecological questions
- To learn about the crucial importance of symbiosis in eukaryotic evolution
https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=55042
This page was last updated on Thursday, June 5, 2025