Plant Genome Dynamics and Evolution

We focus on three major research areas:

1. Genome dynamics in polyploids: The most dramatic mutation is the duplication of an entire genome. Sudden genome doubling presents novel dynamics to the confined environment of the nucleus. How is this endured? What opportunities might this unlock?

2. Adaptation to extreme environments: Some of the most remarkable adaptations in plants involve edaphic (soil-related) challenges. We are therefore working on the genomics of diverse metal, drought, and serpentine-tolerant plants. Our results detail broadly orchestrated, highly polygenic evolutionary responses, as well as striking instances of repeated evolution and gene flow between species. 

3. Genome-Enabling new models and crops: Understanding plant genome diversity and dynamics informs future food production. Here we leverage wild crop relatives to produce quality genomic resources for resilient agriculture, with a focus on quality telomere-to-telomere genome assembly in polyploids as well as diploid crop relatives.

We have recently moved to SLU, effective July 2025; for more information on our group, please visit our external site here.