Research Interests
The Speare Lab explores intermicrobial and microbe-host interactions and their consequences for organismal and ecosystem function. We aim to understand the ecology and evolution of microbial cooperation, competition, parasitism, and predation across hierarchical levels. Our primary study system uses the tripartite symbiosis between reef building corals, pathogenic Vibrio bacteria, and predatory Halobacteriovorax bacteria.
Area of Specialization
Microbial ecology, bacterial genetics, symbiosis, marine biology