Identification and analysis of speciation genes in island plants

在当前的基因组学革命中，我们现在能够研究突变，选择和基因流动如何促进表型进化和物种起源（Seehausen et al. 2014）。一个很好的方案，其中研究这是物种的起源，适应不同的海拔高度，陡峭的生态选择梯度变化在短的地理距离。通过分析相关物种基因组中的遗传变异，我们可以确定与生殖隔离或生态分化相对应的基因（例如Ellegren et al. 2012）。该项目将分析播娘蒿属的物种形成基因组学，播娘蒿属是一种在加那利群岛发现的植物属。有几个物种是特有物种，在岛屿内部和岛屿之间表现出生态物种形成（物种起源于对新环境的适应）。一个参考基因组正在实验室中组装和注释，SPITFIRE项目将生成和分析所有特有物种的多个个体的测序数据。

In the current genomics revolution we are now in a position to investigate how mutation, selection, and gene flow contribute to phenotypic evolution and the origin of species (Seehausen et al. 2014). An excellent scenario in which to study this is the origin of species that are adapted to divergent altitudes, where steep ecological selection gradients vary over short geographic distance. By analysing genetic variation throughout related species' genomes, we can pinpoint genes that correspond to reproductive isolation or ecological differentiation (e.g. Ellegren et al. 2012). This project will analyse speciation genomics in Descurainia, a plant genus found throughout the Canary Islands. Several species are endemics, showing ecological speciation (the origin of species by adaptation to novel environments) within and between islands. A reference genome is being assembled and annotated in the lab and the SPITFIRE project will generate and analyse sequencing data from multiple individuals of all the endemic species.