Nancy A. Moran

Research

My long-term interests are in the evolution of biological complexity, such as that apparent in complex life histories, in intimate interactions among species, and in species-diversity of clades and communities.

My focus is on symbiosis, particularly that between multicellular hosts and microbes.

Education

• B.A. Highest Honors, Biology, 1976 University of Texas
• M.S., Zoology, 1978 University of Michigan
• Ph.D., Zoology, 1982 University of Michigan (Dissertation advisors: William D. Hamilton and Richard D. Alexander)

Professional Experience

• National Acad. Sciences Fellow, 1984, Inst. of Entomology,  Czechoslovakia
  
• Postdoctoral Fellow, 1984-86, Northern Arizona University
  
• Assistant Professor, 1986-91, University of Arizona
  
• Associate Professor, 1991-96, University of Arizona
  
• Professor, 1996-2000, University of Arizona
  
• Regents’ Professor, 2000-2010, University of Arizona
  
• William H. Fleming Professor, May 2010-2013, Yale University
• Professor, 2013- , The University of Texas at Austin
• Leslie Surginer Endowed Professor, 2014-2017, The University of Texas at Austin
• Warren J. and Viola Mae Raymer Chair Professor, 2018- , The University of Texas at Austin

Publications (last two years)

Full publication list (website) | Google Scholar page

Powell JE, Motta EVS, Liberti J, Sotelo K, Engel P, Moran NA. 2025. Lack of significant effect of gut microbiota on weight gain in newly emerged worker honeybee. R Soc Open Sci. 12(3):242151. doi: 10.1098/rsos.242151

Hart R, Moran NA, Ochman H. 2025. Genomic divergence across the tree of life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A . 121(44):e2414882121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2414882121.

Motta EVS, Lariviere PJ, Jones KR, Song Y, Moran NA. 2024. Type VI secretion systems promote intraspecific competition and host interactions in a bee gut symbiont. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 121(44):e2414882121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2414882121.

Phillips LE, Sotelo KL, Moran NA. 2024. Characterization of gut symbionts from wild-caught Drosophila and other Diptera: description of Utexia brackfieldae gen. nov., sp. nov., Orbus sturtevantii sp. nov., Orbus wheelerorum sp. nov, and Orbus mooreae sp. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 74(9):006516. doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006516.

Lariviere PJ, Ashraf AHMZ, Navarro-Escalante L, Leonard SP, Miller LG, Moran NA, Barrick JE. 2024. One-step genome engineering in bee gut bacterial symbionts. mBio 15(9):e0139224. doi: 10.1128/mbio.01392-24

Motta EVS, de Jong TK, Gage A, Edwards JA, Moran N. 2024. Glyphosate effects on growth and biofilm formation in bee gut symbionts and diverse associated bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 90(8):e0051524. doi: 10.1128/aem.00515-24

Maeda GP, Kelly MK, Sundar A, Moran NA. 2024. Intracellular defensive symbiont is culturable and capable of transovarial, vertical transmission. mBio. 15:e0325323. doi: 10.1128/mbio.03253-23.

Richards TA, Moran NA. 2024. Symbiosis: In search of a deeper understanding. PLoS Biol. 22(4):e3002595. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002595.