E&E Seminar Series: Time Flies -The Anthropogenic Interactions and Evolutionary History of the Australian Bush Fly (Musca vetustissima)

ABSTRACT

The Australian bush fly (Musca vetustissima) is an ecologically important species whose interactions with human-modified environments may influence its population dynamics and microbial associations. The Time Flies project combines reference genome development, coalescent-based demographic analysis, and microbiome profiling to investigate the evolutionary history and ecological associations of this species. Long-read sequencing supports the development of a reference genome, while historical specimens from the Australian National Insect Collection provide opportunities to explore past microbial communities and genetic variation. By integrating genomic, demographic, and microbiome analyses, this project aims to improve our understanding of how the bush fly has changed through time and how its relationship with anthropogenic environments may have shaped its evolutionary history.

BIOGRAPHY

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Juan David Lobatón Garcés is a molecular geneticist and interdisciplinary genomics researcher with a PhD in Botany from the University of New England and an MSc in Molecular Genetics from the University of Leicester. With over ten years of experience in common bean breeding and international research in crop pollination and insect-plant interactions, he integrates molecular genetics, high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, and quantitative analysis to address complex biological questions. His current research on the Australian bush fly (Musca vetustissima) combines reference genome development, coalescent-based demographic inference, and microbiome analysis to investigate evolutionary history and anthropogenic interactions. Driven by scientific curiosity, he continually explores emerging technologies and new frontiers at the intersection of genetics, evolution, ecology, and applied science