Vera Tai
Program
Junior Fellow Academy
Appointment
Junior Fellow, Integrated Microbial Biodiversity
Institution
University of British Columbia
Country
Canada 
Vera Tai will begin her CIFAR Junior Fellowship in the spring of 2010 under the supervision of Integrated Microbial Biodiversity Program Director and Fellow Patrick Keeling in the Department of Botany at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and IMB Scholar Steve Perlman in the Department of Biology at the University of Victoria. Vera completed her PhD in December 2009 in the Marine Biology Research Division of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Her thesis advisor was Dr. Brian Palenik. Vera also holds a B.Sc. with First Class Honours in Biology from the University of New Brunswick and an M.Sc. in Botany from UBC.
Vera’s research focuses on understanding the diversity, ecology, and evolution of microbial communities in natural environments. Microbes are abundant and found in almost every conceivable environment, yet only 1 % of microbes are easily studied by cultivation in the laboratory. The remaining 99 % are unknown or known only by a few DNA sequences, and their ecological niches remain elusive. Vera uses molecular tools to investigate the extent and distribution of microbial diversity and the role of microbes in their environment. For her doctorate degree, Vera developed new methods to reveal the biogeography and evolution of marine cyanobacteria. During her Junior Fellowship, she will be studying the microbial symbionts of insects. These are fascinating symbiotic relationships with important ecological and evolutionary consequences. In particular, she will be examining the mechanisms by which microbes cause male-killing in mosquitoes. She will also be investigating the diversity of microbes within cockroach guts and their role in wood digestion. This is a highly collaborative project designed to address gaps in our understanding of microbial ecology.
Vera’s research focuses on understanding the diversity, ecology, and evolution of microbial communities in natural environments. Microbes are abundant and found in almost every conceivable environment, yet only 1 % of microbes are easily studied by cultivation in the laboratory. The remaining 99 % are unknown or known only by a few DNA sequences, and their ecological niches remain elusive. Vera uses molecular tools to investigate the extent and distribution of microbial diversity and the role of microbes in their environment. For her doctorate degree, Vera developed new methods to reveal the biogeography and evolution of marine cyanobacteria. During her Junior Fellowship, she will be studying the microbial symbionts of insects. These are fascinating symbiotic relationships with important ecological and evolutionary consequences. In particular, she will be examining the mechanisms by which microbes cause male-killing in mosquitoes. She will also be investigating the diversity of microbes within cockroach guts and their role in wood digestion. This is a highly collaborative project designed to address gaps in our understanding of microbial ecology.