Plant Evolutionary Genomics
Speciation
How species evolve is one of the most fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. Studying speciation is largely synonymous with studying reproductive isolation, and exploring what we know about where, when, and how isolating barriers evolve. Studying speciation in plants is often bounded by classical definitions of the concept of species, but modern research tends to stretch those boundaries especially in the light of new genomics data. In the laboratory, we focus on members of the Poaceae and Compositae families, including Hordeum spontaneum, Hordeum bulbosum, Helianthus annuus, and others.
Adaptation
Our research on adaptation and speciation is largely overlapping as much of the work is focused on the causes and regulating factors associated with adaptive differentiation in plants. A general theme is to link variation at the molecular level to variation in phenotypes and fitness in natural populations. In the lab, we integrate eco-geographical information, phenotypic measurements in natural habitats and common garden experiments to study the ecology and genetics associated with adaptation and the contribution of adaptive plasticity to fitness.
Domestication
The Neolithic revolution associated with humans’ transition from a hunting-gathering lifestyle to farming is one of the most striking events in human history. This event had dramatic effects on both genomic and phenotypic variation and has given us an opportunity to track footprints of rapid evolution. We study the evolutionary signature of plants’ domestication on the genome as a major bottleneck but also as a generator of new genetic and phenotypic variation. We strive to understand the universality and uniqueness associated with the genetics of domestication in different species and its subsequent contribution to adaptation to new environments.