Research

The lab investigates how chromosome mobility enables rapid adaptation in microbial eukaryotes.

In natural populations of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, we discovered recurrent horizontal transfer of accessory chromosomes between fungal lineages. These transfers introduce hundreds of linked genes into predominantly clonal populations, providing a route by which microorganisms can acquire complex traits in a single event.

We investigate mobile chromosomes across three connected levels:

1. Function: What traits do mobile chromosomes encode, and how do their effects depend on recipient genotype and environment?

2. Transfer and establishment: How do chromosomes move between cells, become regulated, and remain stably inherited?

3. Evolution: When do their benefits outweigh their costs, and how do recurrent gains and losses reshape populations over time?

By linking chromosome function, cellular mechanism, and population dynamics, we aim to determine when mobile chromosomes become lasting engines of genome innovation.