tobin dot hammer at colorado dot edu

​ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF INSECT-MICROBE SYMBIOSIS

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​Welcome! I am fascinated by the evolution of symbiosis -- or lack thereof -- between macro-organisms and micro-organisms. Although much microbiome research is focused on humans and other mammals, nowhere are the forms and functions of symbiosis so diverse as among the insects. In particular, my work focuses on Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, caterpillars) and bees, two ecologically and economically important groups that have interesting but also quite variable relationships with microbes.

My dissertation research in the Fierer lab and Bowers lab at CU Boulder integrated field collections, microbial community profiling and metagenomics, insect rearing and experiments, and natural history. I'm excited to be starting a postdoc in the Moran lab at UT Austin this fall, where I plan to gain expertise in comparative genomics, microbiology, and social bees. In the meantime, I'll be conducting fieldwork in Costa Rica and Arizona, and teaching Ecology at CU Boulder.

Please feel free to get in touch (tobin dot hammer at colorado dot edu) if you have any questions about my research! I am always glad to discuss bugs and microbes, and to share data, code, advice, thoughts and opinions.