Dr Fiona Savory

I am an evolutionary biologist with a particular interest in understanding how genome innovations underpin life-style transitions. My current research focusses on endosymbiosis, using Paramecium bursaria-Chlorella as a model system. I apply a range of computational and laboratory-based approaches to explore phenotypes associated with living in an intracellular environment and the metabolic rewiring that occurs upon transitioning from a free-living to a symbiotic state. My past research has spanned the evolution and functional diversification of horizontally acquired genes, viral molecular evolution, and the genetic basis of stress resistance and life-history trade-offs. I contribute to undergraduate teaching on the MBiol course, covering themes in molecular evolution, genomics and microbiology.