About Me
Colin Dale, Ph.D., University of Liverpool, U.K.
My research focuses on symbiotic relationships involving bacteria and animals, particularly insects. Many insects are known to harbor mutualistic bacterial symbionts that play important roles in host nutrition and defense. My research explores the nature of these symbiotic interactions using an integrative approach that employs genomic, transcriptomic, molecular genetic and molecular evolutionary analyses. We explore a range of topics including: (i) the causes and consequences of genome degeneration in bacterial symbionts, (ii) the molecular basis of interactions between insects and symbiotic bacteria, and (iii) the use of symbionts to express foreign gene in insects of medical and agricultural importance.