Bordenstein Lab

Bordenstein Lab
Name	Bordenstein Lab
Field	Microbiome ecology; host–symbiont interactions; evolutionary biology
Institution	Vanderbilt University
Director	Angela E. Bordenstein
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
Established	2010s

Bordenstein Lab The Bordenstein Lab is a research group at Vanderbilt University studying host–microbe interactions, symbiosis, and the microbiome across diverse taxa. The laboratory integrates techniques from microbiology, evolutionary biology, genomics, and ecology to investigate symbiont-mediated effects on host reproduction, behavior, and speciation. The group interacts with multiple universities, museums, and funding agencies to advance knowledge on endosymbionts and microbiome dynamics.

Overview

The laboratory is housed within Vanderbilt University and is affiliated with departments and centers that include Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Department of Biological Sciences, and the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation. Its research program spans model and non-model organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster, Nasonia vitripennis, Apis mellifera, and various Coleoptera and Hemiptera species. The lab’s work situates at the intersection of classical Charles Darwin-era questions and modern molecular methods pioneered by laboratories like those of Craig Venter, Sarah Richardson (biologist), and Sean Carroll. Collaborations extend to institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Research Focus

The lab emphasizes the ecology and evolution of symbioses with particular attention to intracellular endosymbionts such as Wolbachia, Cardinium, and other maternally inherited bacteria. Research themes include symbiont-induced reproductive manipulations (e.g., cytoplasmic incompatibility), microbiome contributions to host fitness, and microbial influences on speciation as framed by concepts from Theodosius Dobzhansky and Ernst Mayr. Investigations employ high-throughput sequencing platforms developed by groups like Illumina and PacBio, genome assembly approaches influenced by Ewan Birney and Gene Myers, and microbiome analysis pipelines shaped by work from Rob Knight and J. Craig Venter Institute scientists. Comparative studies draw on ecological theory from Robert MacArthur and E. O. Wilson.

Notable Publications and Findings

Key publications from the group report on the genomic basis and evolutionary dynamics of Wolbachia-host interactions, symbiont-driven reproductive incompatibilities, and microbiome impacts on hybrid incompatibility. Findings have been presented in journals and venues associated with Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, eLife, PLoS Biology, and Current Biology. Influential papers reference methodologies and frameworks advanced by researchers such as Nancy Moran, Bill Sullivan, Holly Bik, John Werren, and Seth Bordenstein (note: do not link names that are lab variants). The lab’s studies on phage WO and mobile genetic elements in symbionts connect to literature by Lars J. P. Andersson and Martin J. Blaser. Reports on microbiome diversity and host phenotypes cite comparative works by Keith Wooley and meta-analyses akin to those by Gordon (microbiome researcher).

Leadership and Personnel

The principal investigator is a faculty member in biology at Vanderbilt with ties to evolutionary genetics, microbiology, and molecular biology communities. The team comprises postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, technicians, and undergraduates recruited from programs including Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and international trainees from institutions like University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Max Planck Society, and Karolinska Institutet. Laboratory members present at meetings organized by professional societies such as the Society for Neuroscience, American Society for Microbiology, Evolution, and the Society for the Study of Evolution.

Collaborations and Funding

The lab maintains collaborative networks with research groups at Yale University, Princeton University, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, and international centers including University of Copenhagen and Monash University. Funding sources include grants and awards from agencies and foundations like the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Human Frontiers Science Program, and programmatic support via institutional awards from Vanderbilt University. The group participates in multi-investigator consortia and contributes data to public repositories modeled after platforms from National Center for Biotechnology Information and European Bioinformatics Institute.

Outreach and Education

The laboratory engages in public outreach and education through workshops, museum exhibits, and university courses that intersect with programs run by the Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, and regional science festivals. Members contribute to curricular initiatives at Vanderbilt University Peabody College and K–12 outreach coordinated with organizations like STEM.org and local school districts. The lab’s communication efforts include talks at conferences hosted by Gordon Research Conferences and lectures in seminar series such as those at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Facilities and Resources

Experimental work leverages core facilities at Vanderbilt, including genomics cores equipped with Illumina sequencers, microscopy suites with instruments from Zeiss and Leica Microsystems, and computational resources modeled after clusters used by groups at Broad Institute and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The lab maintains culture collections, insectary facilities, and high-containment suites for safe handling of symbionts and hosts, drawing on best practices promulgated by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and institutional biosafety committees.

Category:Research laboratories Category:Vanderbilt University