Prof. Robert Poulin from the University of Otago, New Zealand, will be delivering his lecture at the Wallace Lecture Theatre in the Main University Building (CF10 3AT) on Wednesday, 4th April 2018.
There is a free drinks reception at the Viriamu Jones Gallery at 5p.m. followed by the lecture at 6p.m. Ths event is free and open to all members of the public.
What's it about? :
The mere mention of the word ‘parasite’ is enough to fill the
average person with contempt and disgust. Even
professional biologists think little of parasites; they are widely seen as
degenerate organisms running counter to progressive evolution. Yet parasites
are capable of amazing things, and the lives they spend in the nooks and crannies
of their hosts are as full and complex as those of any other organism. Many
parasites sense what is happening outside the host and adjust what they do
inside the host accordingly. Others live in structured colonies with division
of labour, a phenomenon we normally associate only with ants and bees, or with
humans. Perhaps most impressive, parasites can take control of how their host
behaves, turning the host into a puppet and making it do strange things for the
parasites’ own benefit. Professor Robert Poulin will take us on a tour of the
world of parasites, debunk several myths about them, and promote a greater
appreciation of their unique biology.