Cintia Beatriz Pérez López
Project
Weaving Genetic Threads: Linking Plant Genomic Variation to Food-web DynamicsFood webs represent the network of feeding interactions between species in a multi-trophic community and the structure of these networks plays a key role in determining species coexistence (i.e. maintenance of biodiversity). Genetic variation is a foundational source of biodiversity, but our understanding of how specific genetic variants within species influences food-web interactions remains limited. The central objective of my project is to determine how genomic variation influences food-web interactions and thus the coexistence of species in multi-trophic communities. To achieve this objective, I will conduct experiments with a model plant-insect food web, which includes Arabidopsis thaliana as the basal plant, two aphid herbivores (Myzus persicae and Lipaphis pseudobrassicae), and a parasitoid wasp (Diaeretiella rapae) that attacks both herbivores. The small size and fast life cycle of these organisms permit relatively short experiments in small, controlled environments. Moreover, Arabidopsis is a genetic model organism, which will permit the study of the effects of plant genomic variation.
