Judy’s proposal to work on the origin of the insect sexual differentiation pathway has been funded by the NSF. Congratulations!!! This will be a very exciting project.
Judy receives an NSF predoctoral fellowship
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Research in our lab spans the boundaries between evolution, development, ecology, and molecular genetics. We are interested in the molecular mechanisms of evolutionary changes in morphology, behavior, and ecological adaptations. We use developmental genetics and genomics to gain a deeper understanding of the molecular pathways that control animal development. At the same time, comparative approaches help us understand how these pathways evolve, and what changes in these pathways are responsible for the origin and diversification of new structures and processes. Ultimately, we want to understand how changes in DNA affect development and cell differentiation to produce new phenotypes, and determine the roles of selection and demographic forces in shaping the evolution of developmental pathways.
LAB NEWS
End-of-quarter party!
The quarter is over and we all survived. To celebrate these happy events, an outdoor barbecue party will take place on Thursday, March 28, at 5 pm (till whenever). Remember to bring your own chair!
Angus and Pam’s Tripanosome paper is accepted
Angus and Pam’s paper on tripanosomatid parasites of Drosophila is now in press in PLoS One. They can give you a preview if you ask nicely.
Upcoming talks by lab members
Just a quick heads-up about some upcoming talks and presentations:
- Gavin is giving a talk about his work on sex comb evolution at the American Entomological Society meeting, April 7-10;
- Sarah’s PBG graduation seminar, summarizing her work on the comparative genetics of pigmentation, is Tuesday, April 23
- Don and Raul are giving talks, and Cindy, Lisa, and Margaret are presenting posters, at the Undergraduate Research Conference April 26 (posters) and 27 (talks)
Lots of good stuff!
Evo-Devo and Transgenic Technologies classes
This winter, I will be teaching two classes that may be of interest to the group. The first is my regular Evolution of Animal Development class that I do every couple of years – see the “Classes” page. The other is a new class that will cover transgenic technologies developed for model organisms including Drosophila, mammals, zebrafish, marine invertebrates, plants, fungi, and single-celled eukaryotes. The emphasis will be on recent advances and on broadly applicable principles and tools that are successful across a wide range of eukaryotic taxa. Class schedule will be by mutual agreement (Doodle) so sign up early.