Nic VegaAssistant Professor

Education

• B.S., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2002
• M.S., University of Washington, Seattle, 2007
• Ph.D., Boston University, 2013

Graduate Program Affiliation

• Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
• Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution

Research Area

• Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution

Research Description

We are interested in the ecology of the microbes and microbial communities that live with eukaryotic hosts. In our lab, we use a combination of experiments and modeling to study microbial population ecology and to examine the inherent heterogeneity in these systems. We use the nematode worm C. elegans as a tractable model system to study problems in host-associated microbial community assembly and dynamics; the rapid life cycle and ease of use of this organism allows us to conduct highly powered studies of variation within isogenic host populations.

In particular, we are interested in the factors determining stability and resilience of microbial communities in the host, including the contributions of phage to population dynamics in microbiotal communities; the role of the microbiome in determining physiology and behaviour of the host; evolution of antibiotic resistance in host-associated microbial consortia; and heterogeneity in antibiotic response within microbial populations.

Publications