Alex Aebi’s research page
Evolution of Symbiont Community:
Bacterial symbionts are very common in arthropods. Wolbachia- like bacteria are transmitted vertically form parents to their offspring. In order to maximize their transmission they are known to manipulate their host’s reproduction through processes such as male killing, cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis induction or feminization. While vertically transmitted, there is phylogenetical evidence that horizontal transmission (infection between interacting species) occurred. In collaboration with Graham Stone and Frank Jiggins, I am investigating the route by which such infection occured.
Members of the oak gall wasp community © A Aebi
