Collaborative research: probing the diversity of adaptive paths and the repeatability of CO-evolution

The National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology awarded The University of Mississippi $758,938 on August 1, 2026, under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to conduct laboratory evolution experiments probing the repeatability of co-evolution in microbial species interactions.

The project studies how ecological interactions between two species—the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii—affect the repeatability of evolutionary outcomes. Researchers will conduct long-term evolution experiments under two environmental conditions: one permitting both species independent survival, and one in which the yeast depends on the alga. The work characterizes evolutionary changes at genomic and ecological levels and compares repeatability across the two environments to test whether the type and strength of species interactions influence how predictable evolution is.

The award also funds curriculum development to strengthen scientific reasoning skills and enable college student participation in research at institutions in California and Mississippi.

Performance occurs at the University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, with work running through July 31, 2030.

Abstract

Evolution is the process by which species change over time and adapt to their environment. However, understanding and predicting evolution is difficult because its course is neither completely random nor completely pre-determined. In other words, if we ?rewound the tape of life? And ?replayed? IT, the outcomes of evolution would likely be different, but not totally random. How repeatable evolution is depends in part on how an organism interacts with other species through competition for resources, nutrient exchange, predation, etc. This project uses laboratory experiments to study how interactions between two microbial species, a yeast and an alga, affect how repeatable their evolution is. As such, this project will advance our basic understanding of evolution in the context of species interactions. IT will also develop a new curriculum to help college students in california and mississippi strengthen their scientific reasoning skills and participate firsthand in scientific research. The repeatability of evolution has been described both theoretically and experimentally across many individual species and some ecological communities, but how IT depends on the type and strength of ecological interactions between species remains unclear. To address this question, the investigators will conduct a long-term evolution experiment in a tunable two-species mutualism formed by the yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae and the alga chlamydomonas reinhardtii under two environmental conditions. In one environment, each species can survive without the aid of the other. In the other environment, the alga can survive alone, but the yeast cannot. The first aim of the project is to characterize the evolutionary changes of this community at the genomic and ecological levels and compare repeatability across the two environments. To probe possible mechanisms underlying differences in repeatability, the second aim will measure the range of adaptive mutations available to both partners across both environments. The third aim is to test whether mutualistic partners repeatably evolve specializations to one another. A research-teaching module integrated with this aim will be created to provide research experiences for undergraduates with minimal background in evolution, ecology, or research. Overall, the project will help scientists and students better understand the process of evolution in an ecological context. IT will also generate new genomic resources for C. Reinhardtii and develop methods for quantifying partner specialization in mutualistic systems. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.