PYI: Interspecific Molecular Variation

大卫·m·希利斯博士的研究兴趣是分析蛙类和其他两栖动物各科代表的核糖体基因。这种分子技术作为一种恢复数亿年两栖动物进化历史的手段是极其强大的。这项工作包括对28S核糖体RNA基因的一部分进行测序，该基因包含许多插入（增加的遗传密码长度）。此外，希利斯还注意到另外两个问题。首先，他参与了从佛罗里达州小盐泉发现的保存完好的一万年前人类遗骸中分离和鉴定特定基因片段的工作。其次，他正在研究高度多态的树蜗牛的遗传学，这种树蜗牛已经被证明是由一些地方通过基因重组繁殖的种群组成的，而在其他地方则是无性繁殖，没有基因重组。希利斯博士的学术机构是德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校。经费由总统青年研究员奖提供，为期五年。

Dr. David M. Hillis's research interests concern the analysis of ribosomal genes of representatives of each of the families of frogs, as well as other amphibians. Such molecular techniques are extremely powerful as a means of recovering evolutionary history over the hundreds of millions of years of amphibian evolution. This work includes sequencing a portion of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene that contains numerous insertions (added lengths of genetic code). In addition, two other problems occupy Hillis's attention. First, he is involved in efforts to isolate and identify specific gene fragments from well-preserved 10,000 year old human remains found at Little Salt Spring, Florida. Second, he is studying the genetics of the highly polymorphic tree snail Liguus fasciatus, which has proven to consist of populations that reproduce with genetic recombination in some locations but clonally and without genetic recombination at others. Dr. Hillis's academic institution is the University of Texas at Austin. Funding is provided through a Presidential Young Investigator Award for a duration of five years.