Ketolalab –Research on Anthropocene
Ketolalab explores very basic mechanisms operating in anthropocene and can be largely described by two themes: 1) heat stress and genetic adaptation, and 2) emergence of pests and pathogens. 3) Third important, emerging, theme is practical work on protecting ecosystems and halting climate change by science based politics.
1) Heat stress and adaptation
Two major threats to human kind, climate change and biodiversity loss are severely entangled manifestations of anthropocene. We have not only created a powerful and hard to adapt selection pressure – climate change associated temperature stress, but also caused reduction of natural habitats leading to lessened and lessened space for species. In warmer and more fragmented world species are literally between the hammer and the anvil and being struck by increased need for adaptation, but on the other hand, suffering lack of evolutionary means to adapt due to shrinking habitats, reduced population sizes, low genetic variation and inbreeding depression. My research work on this subject is mainly conducted with microbes or insects, which are utmost suitable for testing timely theories, but also as they form a serious threat to agri- and aquaculture as well as human health (see below).
Selected publications:
Liukkonen M., Kronholm I., & Ketola T. 2021. Evolutionary rescue at different rates of environmental change is affected by trade-offs between short-term performance and long-term survival. J. Evol. Biol. 34:1177-1184.
Kristensen T.N., Ketola T., & Kronholm I. 2020 Adaptation to environmental stress at different timescales. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 1476:5-22
Ketola T. & Saarinen K. 2015. Experimental evolution in fluctuating environments: Tolerance measurements at constant temperatures incorrectly predict the ability to tolerate fluctuating temperatures. J. Evol. Biol. 28: 800-806.
Ketola T., Kellermann VM, Kristensen TN & Loeschcke V. 2012. Constant, cycling hot and cold thermal environments: Strong role on mean viability but not on genetic estimates J. Evol. Biol. 25:1209-1215.
Ketola T. & Kotiaho J. S. 2009. Inbreeding, energy use and condition. J. Evol. Biol. 22:770-781.
2) Pests and pathogens
In addition to climate change induced range expansions and evolution, travel and transfer of goods and material across continents increase transmission of pest and pathogens. Invasive species and novel pathogens are also threat to humans via ecosystem services, aqua- and agriculture, and health. We are interested on the evolution of invasive species and virulent pathogens, but also which kinds of communities are able to resist invasions. In addition to controlled lab experiments, and collection of bacterial isolates, we use historical data from more than 3 million Finns on their causes of death prior to modern health care to explore risk factors, such as aggregation, economical conditions and land use, associated with risk of infections.
Selected publications:
Ketola T, Briga M., Honkola T., & Lummaa V. 2021. Town population size and structuring into villages and households drive infectious disease risks in pre-healthcare Finland, Proc R. Soc. Lond. B., 228:20210356
Saarinen K, Lindström L., Ketola T. 2019. Invasion triple trouble: Environmental fluctuations, fluctuation-adapted invaders and fluctuation-mal-adapted communities all govern the invasion success. BMC Evolutionary Biology 19:42
Ashrafi R., Bruneaux M, Sundberg L-R, Pulkkinen K., Valkonen J., Ketola T. 2018. Broad thermal tolerance is negatively correlated with virulence in an opportunistic bacterial pathogen. Evolutionary Applications 11:1700-1714
Ketola T., Mikonranta L., Zhang J., Saarinen K., Örmälä A.-M., Friman V-P., Mappes J., & Laakso J. 2013. Fluctuating temperature leads to evolution of thermal generalism and pre-adaptation to novel environments. Evolution, 67: 2936-2944.
3) Resolving biodiversity crisis
Climate change and biodiversity loss cannot be resolved separately. EU and national policies must be changed accordingly. My former position as a scientific coordinator at Finnish Nature panel gave outstanding possibilities to take part in offering solutions to politicians for resolving the biodiversity crisis.
Selected publications:
Ketola T., Ahlvik L., Boström C., Bäck J., Jokimäki J., Kallio, K. P., Kulmala L., Lehikoinen, A., Nieminen T.M., Oksanen E., Pappila M., Pöyry, J., Saarikoski, H., Sinkkonen, A., Sääksjärvi I., ja Kotiaho J.S. 2021. Soiden ennallistamisen suoluonto-, vesistö- ja ilmastovaikutukset. Luontopaneelin yhteenveto ja suositukset luontopolitiikan suunnittelun ja päätöksenteon tueksi. Suomen Luontopaneelin julkaisuja 3a/2021.
Kotiaho J.S., Ahlvik L., Boström C., Bäck J.,Herzon, I., Jokimäki J., Kallio, K. P., Kulmala L., Lehikoinen, A., Nieminen T.M., Oksanen E., Pappila M., Pöyry, J., Saarikoski, H., Sinkkonen, A., Sääksjärvi I., ja Ketola T. 2021. Keskeiset keinot luontokadon pysäyttämiseksi. Luontopaneelin viestit puoliväliriiheen. Suomen Luontopaneeli. Suomen Luontopaneelin julkaisuja 2.
Ahlvik L., Boström C., Bäck J.,Herzon, I., Jokimäki J., Kallio, K. P., Ketola T., Kulmala L., Lehikoinen, A., Nieminen T.M., Oksanen E., Pappila M., Pöyry, J., Saarikoski, H., Sinkkonen, A., Sääksjärvi I., ja Janne S. Kotiaho. 2021. Luonnon monimuotoisuus ja vihreä elvytys. Suomen Luontopaneeli. Suomen Luontopaneelin julkaisuja 1.
Ketolalab explores very basic mechanisms operating in anthropocene and can be largely described by two themes: 1) heat stress and genetic adaptation, and 2) emergence of pests and pathogens. 3) Third important, emerging, theme is practical work on protecting ecosystems and halting climate change by science based politics.
1) Heat stress and adaptation
Two major threats to human kind, climate change and biodiversity loss are severely entangled manifestations of anthropocene. We have not only created a powerful and hard to adapt selection pressure – climate change associated temperature stress, but also caused reduction of natural habitats leading to lessened and lessened space for species. In warmer and more fragmented world species are literally between the hammer and the anvil and being struck by increased need for adaptation, but on the other hand, suffering lack of evolutionary means to adapt due to shrinking habitats, reduced population sizes, low genetic variation and inbreeding depression. My research work on this subject is mainly conducted with microbes or insects, which are utmost suitable for testing timely theories, but also as they form a serious threat to agri- and aquaculture as well as human health (see below).
Selected publications:
Liukkonen M., Kronholm I., & Ketola T. 2021. Evolutionary rescue at different rates of environmental change is affected by trade-offs between short-term performance and long-term survival. J. Evol. Biol. 34:1177-1184.
Kristensen T.N., Ketola T., & Kronholm I. 2020 Adaptation to environmental stress at different timescales. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 1476:5-22
Ketola T. & Saarinen K. 2015. Experimental evolution in fluctuating environments: Tolerance measurements at constant temperatures incorrectly predict the ability to tolerate fluctuating temperatures. J. Evol. Biol. 28: 800-806.
Ketola T., Kellermann VM, Kristensen TN & Loeschcke V. 2012. Constant, cycling hot and cold thermal environments: Strong role on mean viability but not on genetic estimates J. Evol. Biol. 25:1209-1215.
Ketola T. & Kotiaho J. S. 2009. Inbreeding, energy use and condition. J. Evol. Biol. 22:770-781.
2) Pests and pathogens
In addition to climate change induced range expansions and evolution, travel and transfer of goods and material across continents increase transmission of pest and pathogens. Invasive species and novel pathogens are also threat to humans via ecosystem services, aqua- and agriculture, and health. We are interested on the evolution of invasive species and virulent pathogens, but also which kinds of communities are able to resist invasions. In addition to controlled lab experiments, and collection of bacterial isolates, we use historical data from more than 3 million Finns on their causes of death prior to modern health care to explore risk factors, such as aggregation, economical conditions and land use, associated with risk of infections.
Selected publications:
Ketola T, Briga M., Honkola T., & Lummaa V. 2021. Town population size and structuring into villages and households drive infectious disease risks in pre-healthcare Finland, Proc R. Soc. Lond. B., 228:20210356
Saarinen K, Lindström L., Ketola T. 2019. Invasion triple trouble: Environmental fluctuations, fluctuation-adapted invaders and fluctuation-mal-adapted communities all govern the invasion success. BMC Evolutionary Biology 19:42
Ashrafi R., Bruneaux M, Sundberg L-R, Pulkkinen K., Valkonen J., Ketola T. 2018. Broad thermal tolerance is negatively correlated with virulence in an opportunistic bacterial pathogen. Evolutionary Applications 11:1700-1714
Ketola T., Mikonranta L., Zhang J., Saarinen K., Örmälä A.-M., Friman V-P., Mappes J., & Laakso J. 2013. Fluctuating temperature leads to evolution of thermal generalism and pre-adaptation to novel environments. Evolution, 67: 2936-2944.
3) Resolving biodiversity crisis
Climate change and biodiversity loss cannot be resolved separately. EU and national policies must be changed accordingly. My former position as a scientific coordinator at Finnish Nature panel gave outstanding possibilities to take part in offering solutions to politicians for resolving the biodiversity crisis.
Selected publications:
Ketola T., Ahlvik L., Boström C., Bäck J., Jokimäki J., Kallio, K. P., Kulmala L., Lehikoinen, A., Nieminen T.M., Oksanen E., Pappila M., Pöyry, J., Saarikoski, H., Sinkkonen, A., Sääksjärvi I., ja Kotiaho J.S. 2021. Soiden ennallistamisen suoluonto-, vesistö- ja ilmastovaikutukset. Luontopaneelin yhteenveto ja suositukset luontopolitiikan suunnittelun ja päätöksenteon tueksi. Suomen Luontopaneelin julkaisuja 3a/2021.
Kotiaho J.S., Ahlvik L., Boström C., Bäck J.,Herzon, I., Jokimäki J., Kallio, K. P., Kulmala L., Lehikoinen, A., Nieminen T.M., Oksanen E., Pappila M., Pöyry, J., Saarikoski, H., Sinkkonen, A., Sääksjärvi I., ja Ketola T. 2021. Keskeiset keinot luontokadon pysäyttämiseksi. Luontopaneelin viestit puoliväliriiheen. Suomen Luontopaneeli. Suomen Luontopaneelin julkaisuja 2.
Ahlvik L., Boström C., Bäck J.,Herzon, I., Jokimäki J., Kallio, K. P., Ketola T., Kulmala L., Lehikoinen, A., Nieminen T.M., Oksanen E., Pappila M., Pöyry, J., Saarikoski, H., Sinkkonen, A., Sääksjärvi I., ja Janne S. Kotiaho. 2021. Luonnon monimuotoisuus ja vihreä elvytys. Suomen Luontopaneeli. Suomen Luontopaneelin julkaisuja 1.
