Sarah Sandor - 2020 cohort

Sarah Sandor srs69@cam.ac.uk

  Canada

  Plant Sciences, Churchill College

PhD thesis: Adaptation of bacterial communities to dissolved organic matter in freshwater

Research interests:
  1. Adaptation
  2. Species interactions
  3. Molecular evolution
  4. Freshwater ecology

My PhD focuses on bacterial adaptation to complex carbon sources. Freshwater contains an incredible diversity of dissolved organic matter (DOM), which serves as a key nutrient source for millions of aquatic microorganisms. However, only recently have researchers begun to fully characterize the relationship between this diversity of DOM and its biological significance in terms of the microbial communities that it can support. I will use a long-term evolution experiment to study how bacteria adapt to different organic matter that is obtained from various freshwater sources. I am particularly interested in understanding how the bacteria will adapt when grown in a community of other bacterial species, as well as identifying the genetic mechanisms that underpin these adaptations. This research will allow us to better understand how changes in DOM composition may influence the evolution of microbes within freshwater ecosystems.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

I was inspired by my previous research experience in Dr. Jianping Xu’s lab at McMaster University. While partaking in my undergraduate project and master’s thesis, I had the opportunity to bridge concepts from ecology, evolution and genetics to answer various research questions relating to mushrooms and mushroom-insect interactions. While I will not by studying mushrooms for my PhD project, I am eager to apply these fascinating biological concepts to a new ecological system, in order to learn more about the intricacies of the natural world around us.