IEB Extra Seminar: Evolutionary ecology of bacterial adaptive immune systems

Abstract: CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune mechanisms are widespread in bacteria and archaea and provide protection against virus infections. Over the last decade, the mechanistic basis of CRISPR-Cas has been largely elucidated, but we know much less about the fitness consequences associated with these highly sophisticated immune mechanisms. I will discuss recent advances in our understanding of the fitness costs and benefits of CRISPR-Cas and how these systems impact bacteria-virus co-evolution. I will focus on the inducible and adaptive aspects of CRISPR-Cas immunity.