E. coli sheds light on global warming adaptation

UC Irvine biologists Al Bennett, Brandon Gaut and Tony Long received $900,000 from the National Science Foundation to study bacteria at high temperatures, which will give them insight into evolution. By warming E. coli and studying how their offspring evolve at higher temperatures, biologists can watch an accelerated evolutionary process and learn how bacteria adapt to warming. This project will include education for K-12 teachers. Next summer, ecology & evolutionary biology lecturer Brad Hughes will give a course on evolution to teachers, using the E. coli system as a model.