We conduct research in the field of comparative and evolutionary plant genomics, cytogenomics and cytogenetics. Our goal is to provide new insights into the mechanisms and constraints of chromosomal and karyotype evolution in plants and to bring together comparative plant cytogenetics, genomics and phylogenetics.
Among other topics we analyze the frequency, mechanisms, and rates of chromosomal rearrangements; the sequence structure of chromosome breakpoints; modes of centromere repositioning and elimination; reconstruction of ancestral genomes and pathways of genome evolution; and testing causal relationships between whole-genome duplication events, chromosomal variation, and speciation. Although genome evolution in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) is our main research focus, projects focused on chromosomal and karyotype evolution in other plant groups are also underway.
Research in the laboratory explores the following topics:
- comparative and evolutionary genomics (whole-genome sequencing),
- comparative cytogenomics and cytogenetics,
- mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangements and karyotype evolution,
- phylogenomics.
We collaborate with a number of top experts and research groups in the field of comparative plant genomics and phylogenomics, for example with I. Al-Shehbaz (Missouri Bot. Garden), A. Bousios (U Sussex), F. Chen (Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Beijing), B. Crespo (U Alicante), D. German (Altai State University, Barnaul), I. Henderson (U Cambridge), M. Koch (U Heidelberg), A. Kovarik (IBP Brno), K. Marhold (Charles U, Prague), K. Mummenhoff (U Osnabrück), Ch. Parisod (U Fribourg), E. Schranz (U Wageningen), I. Schubert (IPK Gatersleben), F. Shen (Beijing Academy of Agri. and Forestry Sci.), M. Windham (Duke U) etc.