Research

The lab investigates how structural genome variation and chromosome mobility enable rapid adaptation in microbial pathogens.

In natural populations of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, we uncovered directional exchange of entire accessory chromosomes from wild-grass lineages into clonal crop-infecting lineages. This movement injects new genetic variation into otherwise constrained clonal populations, expanding their evolutionary potential.

We investigate genome mobility across three interconnected dimensions:

1) Function: How does genome mobility translate into phenotype?

2) Mechanism: What molecular and chromatin-based principles regulate mobility and stability?

3) Evolution: How does genome mobility restructure populations over time?

Ultimately, our aim is to establish genome mobility as a central principle of microbial evolution.