Charlie Durant is a PhD Candidate, Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester.
“I study the microbial ecology of these ant-phage-bacteria communities by studying their entire genetic content, or metagenome. I hope to find out whether bacteriophage are important in shaping the communities of bacteria that live with ants.”
Max John is a PhD Candidate, Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University of Leicester.
“I am studying the genomics of social organisation, focusing on the genomic basis of polymorphic social organisation in ants. Specifically, I am investigating the evolution of “social chromosomes”, which function similarly to sex chromosomes but control the number of reproductive queens in ant colonies.”
Rob Hammond is a Lecturer, Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester.
“My research focuses on the evolution of complex traits. I am interested in the organization of social insect societies with projects on the genetic changes underlying differences in social organisation, how social traits influence the genome, and the diversity and role of bacteriophages in social insect nests.