DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Systematics of the Order Brassicales and Family Brassicaceae, and comparative genomic analyses (nuclear and organellar genomes): a phylogenomic approach

油菜目物种之间的进化关系(包括大约4550种、模式植物拟南芥和许多重要的经济作物物种)目前知之甚少。需要这些关系的知识来解释在进化背景下这一群体可获得的丰富的基因组、发育和生理数据。这项研究将利用数百个跨核、线粒体和叶绿体基因组编码的基因座来解决油菜目的系统发育关系。此外，该项目还将调查每个基因组区段(即核和细胞器基因组)的多样性和进化，包括基因组大小、基因内容(例如基因丢失和复制、新的基因功能)和基因组结构。栽培和野生油菜物种拥有许多对作物改良具有巨大价值的新特征和化学成分，包括生物抗性(如昆虫、真菌和线虫)和非生物胁迫耐受性(如干旱、冰冻和重金属)。此外，这个植物群还分享了对人类健康有益的新化学物质，包括治疗心血管疾病和高血压。这项研究将加强我们对哪些物种分享这些有益的新的生物化学性质和特征的理解，并表征潜在的生物合成途径。最终，这一框架将使这些性状成为制药和改良作物的目标。

The evolutionary relationships amongst species in the order Brassicales (which includes approximately 4550 species, the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, and many economically important crop species), are currently poorly known. Knowledge of these relationships is required to interpret the wealth of genomic, developmental, and physiological data available for this group within an evolutionary context. This study will resolve the phylogenetic relationships within the order Brassicales utilizing hundreds of loci encoded across the nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast genomes. In addition, this project will investigate diversification rates and the evolution of each genome compartment (i.e. nuclear and organellar genomes) -- including genome size, gene content (e.g. gene loss and duplications, novel gene functions), and genome structure.Cultivated and wild Brassicales species possess numerous novel traits and chemistries with enormous value to crop improvement, including biotic resistances (e.g. insects, fungi, and nematodes) and abiotic stress tolerances (e.g. drought, freezing, and heavy metals). In addition, this plant group shares novel chemistries that are beneficial to human health, including treatments for cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. This research will enhance our understanding of which species share these beneficial novel biochemistries and traits, and characterizing the underlying biosynthetic pathways. Ultimately, this framework will allow these traits to be targeted for pharmaceuticals and to improve crops.