DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Transposable element dynamics across reproductive modes and ploidy levels in natural populations

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This project investigates how an important kind of mutation (transposable elements) is impacted by reproductive mode and the number of chromosome sets in a cell. Transposable elements (often called "jumping genes") are sequences of DNA that self-replicate across genomes. They can contribute to genome expansion and are a source for rapid adaptive evolution. In addition, transposable elements are found in all organisms and likely play central roles in evolution, but how chromosome number (or other factors) influences the accumulation and evolution of transposable elements is unclear. This project addresses these fundamental questions and is relevant to all scientists interested in genome structure. Researchers are also involved in Project Lead the Way to develop genomic and molecular evolution lessons for high school students. A pool-sequencing approach will be applied to a New Zealand freshwater snail, Potamopygus anitopodarum, to test the effects of reproductive mode and ploidy level on transposable elements' evolutionary dynamics. This snail species is ideally suited for the project because otherwise similar coexisting snails vary in reproductive mode and ploidy. Whole-genome sequencing of pools of individuals is a cost-effective means for addressing population genomic questions and enables this novel test of genome-wide effects of reproductive mode and ploidy on the evolutionary dynamics of transposable elements.