Breakfast Club Seminar

"Exploring the Origin of Multicellularity in Real Time: What We've Learned From 5,000 Generations of Laboratory Evolution"

William Ratcliff, Ph.D.
Associate Professor 
School of Biological Sciences
Georgia Tech


The Ratcliff lab uses a combination of synthetic biology, directed evolution, and mathematical modeling to understand how multicellular organisms evolve from single-celled ancestors. 

The lab’s main project is the Multicellularity Long Term Evolution Experiment (MuLTEE). They are exploring how simple groups of cells can evolve to become increasingly integrated and organismal over thousands of generations of evolution in the lab.

The IBB Breakfast Club Seminar Series was started with the spirit of the Institute's interdisciplinary mission in mind to feature local IBB faculty member's research in a seminar format. Faculty are often asked to speak at other universities and conferences, but do not often present at their home institution - this seminar series is an attempt to close that gap. IBB Breakfast Club Seminars are open to anyone in the bio-community.