Research Units

The Algorithms for Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics Unit develops computer algorithms for core problems in genomics to study the genomes of every extant species on our planet.

The ECBS unit studies the effects of symbiotic interactions on the origin and evolution of cellular life.

The Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit combines computational and experimental methods to study principles of gene regulation during early organismal development, using Oikopleura dioica as a model organism.

We use the genomes of Neandertals and Denisovans, the closest evolutionary relatives of present-day humans, to identify genomic variants that are unique to modern humans.

Our unit focuses on understanding how environmental changes impact soil microbes, particularly those that are symbiotic with or pathogenic to plants, and drive biogeochemical cycling.

The Model-Based Evolutionary Genomics Unit works at the crossroads of computational and evolutionary biology. Our long-term goal is to achieve an integrative understanding of the evolution of Life on Earth and the origins and emergence of complexity across different biological scales, from individual proteins to ecosystems. To move towards this goal, we develop and apply model-driven evolutionary genomics methods to reconstruct the Tree of Life and the major evolutionary transitions that have occurred along its branches.