KLI Colloquia are invited research talks of about an hour followed by 30 min discussion. The talks are held in English, open to the public, and offered in hybrid format.
Fall-Winter 2025-2026 KLI Colloquium Series
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5881861923?omn=85945744831
Meeting ID: 588 186 1923
25 Sept 2025 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
A Dynamic Canvas Model of Butterfly and Moth Color Patterns
Richard Gawne (Nevada State Museum)
14 Oct 2025 (Tues) 3-4:30 PM CET
Vienna, the Laboratory of Modernity
Richard Cockett (The Economist)
23 Oct 2025 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
How Darwinian is Darwinian Enough? The Case of Evolution and the Origins of Life
Ludo Schoenmakers (KLI)
6 Nov (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
Common Knowledge Considered as Cause and Effect of Behavioral Modernity
Ronald Planer (University of Wollongong)
20 Nov (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
Rates of Evolution, Time Scaling, and the Decoupling of Micro- and Macroevolution
Thomas Hansen (University of Oslo)
4 Dec (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
Chance, Necessity, and the Evolution of Evolvability
Cristina Villegas (KLI)
8 Jan 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
Embodied Rationality: Normative and Evolutionary Foundations
Enrico Petracca (KLI)
15 Jan 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
On Experimental Models of Developmental Plasticity and Evolutionary Novelty
Patricia Beldade (Lisbon University)
29 Jan 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET
Jan Baedke (Ruhr University Bochum)
Event Details

Topic description:
Interacting microbes are capable of implementing complex functions such as resistant starch degradation in human guts, denitrification of water in wastewater treatment or ABx tolerance in disease-related biofilms.
To better understand and manage microbial functions we require a system-wide analysis of microbial interactions with the aim of exploring the structure-function map of microbial communities. The heterogeneous distribution of ecological roles entails the emergence of keystone species. Such keystones are not only relevant for community persistence, but are also prime targets for improving human health. In my talk I will bridge between cellular and microbial communities giving examples of how insights can be transferred between these distinct biological communities.
Bibliographical note:
Stefanie Widder is a computational biologist at the Department of Microbial Ecology and Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna. She is working on the systems biology of complex communities, in particular microbial consortia and gene regulatory networks. Her research aims at predictive understanding of complex community functions that find application in human health and related fields (Widder et al. ISMEJ 2016).