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Akashi CV & research interests
Lab members
Mueller lab
Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics (IMEG)
Faculty Research
Departmentof Biology
Penn State University |
Research interests
Research in our laboratory focuses on identifying adaptation
at the molecular level. We study mechanisms of molecular evolution through
a combination of laboratory work to sequence DNA from within and between
closely related species, computational analyses of DNA sequence data available
from public databases, and theoretical studies of population genetic predictions
for molecular evolution. In particular, we are interested in detecting
molecular variation with subtle fitness effects. Natural selection can
have an important impact on the long-term evolution of such mutations but
cannot be measured directly in the laboratory, or in natural populations.
Current interests in the lab include :
- Identifying global forces governing protein evolution. We
are particularly interested in investigating relationships between
gene expression and patterns of both silent and protein evolution.
Our findings suggest that selection acts on the amino acid usage of
microbial proteomes to optimize the efficiency of the synthesis of
proteins as well as their particular functions. We are expanding these
analyses to multicellular eukaryotes.
- Studying lineage-specific patterns of silent and protein evolution
among closely related species. If weak selection operates on a large
fraction of mutations, then departures from steady-state should be
common in molecular evolution. We have developed an efficient method
to sequence orthologous genes from even distantly related species
using vectorette PCR and are currently expanding the dataset of genes
sequenced among all species in the D. melanogaster subgroup.
Our findings suggest frequent non-equilibrium evolution of both silent
and amino-acid altering mutations.
- Developing and testing models of the evolutionary process under
a balance among weak forces that fluctuate over time. We employ computer
simulations to model weak selection in the context of genetic
linkage and fitness interactions among mutations to determine the
appropriate data and statistical methods to detect subtle forces in
evolution. In addition, ancestral state reconstructions can be valuable
for testing causes of molecular evolution and we are studying the
reliability of such inferences among closely related species.
Projects from the lab :
Metabolic economics and bacterial proteome evolution
Translational selection and yeast proteome evolution
Weak
selection and codon bias evolution in Drosophila
Phenotypic
basis of selection at silent sites
Mechanisms
of protein evolution
Selection
at silent sites in the human genome
Molecular
phylogeny of the Drosophila melanogaster species subgroup
Vectorette PCR method
Data Download
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