Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form one of the most ancient and widespread symbioses, enhancing plant nutrient acquisition in exchange for photosynthetically derived [...]

While the two parts of this dissertation might seem disparate at first glance, bothprojects ultimately seek to understand the basal ideas underlying ideas that lead to la[...]

My dissertation focuses on two projects, the first to identify the function of gpr143, the gene responsible for ocular albinism in humans, in A. sagrei and its possible i[...]

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a segmental allotetraploid species that originated less than 10,000 years ago from the spontaneous hybridization of two diploid wild Arach[...]

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally significant crop valued for its oil and protein content, making cultivars with high seed quality and disease resistance desirab[...]

Growing biofuel sorghum on marginal lands could be an efficient way to produce sustainable liquid fuels while avoiding competition with food crops. Microbial symbioses wi[...]

This study explores the stochastic gains and losses of DNA methylation (epimutations) at CG sites in plant genomes and their innovative application in evolutionary resear[...]

Teaching evaluation at many institutions is insufficient to effectively support, recognize, and reward high-quality teaching, necessitating systemic change. This disserta[...]

How do species adapt to their environments? This question has been a major driver ofevolutionary genetics research for a century. Developing cost-efficient models to addr[...]

Selfish genetic elements are sections of DNA that get transmitted to the next generation more than expected by chance, referred to as preferential transmission. Very larg[...]

This dissertation consists of two distinct bodies of work. The first leverages a unique aspect of fire ant biology to investigate a potential role for a supergene in gene[...]

Understanding the nature of species boundaries, including the mechanisms underlying their formation, maintenance, and breakdown, has long been a goal of evolutionary biol[...]

Chromatin, a complex of DNA and proteins, plays a vital role in regulating gene expression. This work focuses specifically on facultative heterochromatin, characterized b[...]

Centromeres are a critical element of eukaryotic genome architecture, serving as the site of kinetochore assembly and responsible for faithful chromosome segregation duri[...]

The computational methodology of Genome Wide Association Studies(GWAS) currently has several limitations: 1) the number of observations (rows) on a quantitative trait ten[...]

Dogs offer a unique population structure that can be exploited to identify genetic risk factors of complex disease. Herein, I used the canine model to investigate the gen[...]

In the absence of telomerase certain cancers achieve immortalization through telomere elongation using Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres pathway, which is dependent on[...]

The evolution of a trait in nature is dependent on the amount of genetic variation underlying the trait, the presence of selection on the trait, and the inheritance patte[...]

Plants produce an outstanding diversity of metabolites and many of these metabolites are hypothesized to be involved in coevolutionary interactions. Plants in the genus P[...]

Barriers to reproduction between species prevent hybridization and gene flow between heterospecific populations. In this dissertation I utilize two different, closely re[...]

The third pharyngeal pouch is formed between E8.5 and E9 in mice. The thymus and the parathyroid both form from third pouch endoderm at later stages of development. Alt[...]

Due to the future effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities that change habitat, it is of high priority from a conservation perspective to identify how speci[...]

The apparent flexibility of behavior has long posed challenges for evolutionary biology. As such, there has been debate over whether behavior may be unconstrained in its[...]