Comparative Genomics of Medusozoa
Medusozoa (jellyfish) are comprised of roughly 3000 species across 4 different classes, and represented by organisms with highly divergent morphologies (eyes, balancing organs) and life strategies (asexual reproduction, colony formation, etc.). Genomes provide a window to understanding how these disparate taxa evolved and the genetic mechanisms that lead to complex phenotypes. Through collaborative efforts, I employ cutting-edge computational methods to generate and interrogate these genomes to understand these the evolution of this ancient lineage.
Comparative Genomics of Staurozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa
While the group Medusozoa is comprise of four classes of jellyfish, very little genomic information exist for three of these groups (Cubozoa, Staurozoa, Scyphozoa), despite the major impact they have on the ecosystem, as well as on the economy. Through a collaboration with other research groups, I began to shed light on genes and pathways that may have been important to the diversification of these lineages (Ohdera et al. 2019 Frontiers). We also found signatures of convergent genome evolution in Hox genes, demonstrating how these ancient lineages can provide valuable information on genome evolution. With an expanded team of collaborators, we are now generating and analyzing a greater number of medusozoan genomes to gain an even better understanding of animal evolution.
Genomics of Pelagic Symbiosis
I am collaborating with lead PIs Michael Dawson (UC Merced), Kelly Sutherland (U. of Oregon), and Anne Thompson (Portland State U), along with a team of researchers from around the world, to investigate the genomic features that underly symbiosis in pelagic organism. I will be working closely with the group to study how genomic features (coding, non-coding) are altered in symbiotic lineages, and uncover signatures of selection. The project is funded by the Wellcome Sanger Institute through the Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics Project.