Evolutionary genetics and genomics

New methods in genetics and genomics have allowed a rapid expansion of research into the basis of variations in phenotype, development and the epigenetic variations induced by diet and other lifetime experiences. Genetics research in the Research School of Biology spans plants and animals and model and non-model organisms. We have a strong reputation in epigenetics, chromosome evolution, developmental biology and in plant-animal interactions and are well equipped in large scale sequencing facilities.

Project Groups
Acacia evolution: why do some species evolve faster than others? Lanfear Group - Mutation, molecular evolution and phylogenetics
New methods in phylogenetics Lanfear Group - Mutation, molecular evolution and phylogenetics
Reading the history of mutations in individual plants Lanfear Group - Mutation, molecular evolution and phylogenetics
A molecular view of Australian biodiversity - exploring insect genomes for major shifts in functional genes Moritz Group - Evolutionary biogeography & conservation
A synthetic biology approach to detect pathogen molecules in crops Schwessinger Group - Plants, fungi, evolution
A unique non-human model for the evolution of musical tool use: drumming by the palm cockatoo Langmore Group - Avian evolutionary and behavioural ecology
Are evolutionary refugia traps for endemic species? Moritz Group - Evolutionary biogeography & conservation
Australian Mountain Research Facility (AMRF, ARC LIEF project)
  • Borevitz Group - Plant genomics for climate adaption
  • Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
  • Behavioural and life history variation in a wild population of eastern grey kangaroos (current PhD)
    Bioinformatic / Computational methods Huttley Group - Bioinformatics, molecular evolution of genomes
    Bioinformatics Summer Scholarship projects Solomon Group - Wheat biosecurity
    Building resilience to change for mammals in a multi-use landscape Moritz Group - Evolutionary biogeography & conservation
    C4 Rice Project
  • Furbank Group – Improving photosynthesis and crop yield
  • von Caemmerer Group - CO2 fixation and water loss of leaves
  • Characterising the Zymospetoria tritici - wheat interaction Solomon Group - Wheat biosecurity
    Chromosomal evolution in the Social huntsman spider Delena cancerides Rowell Group - Population genetics, karyology and phylogeography of terrestrial invertebrates
    CO2 acquisition by cyanobacteria and plants, & Synthetic Biology strategies for transplanting cyanobacterial CO2 Concentrating mechanism parts in crop plants
  • Price Group - The cyanobacterial CO2 concentrating mechanism and the use of synthetic biology to transfer it to C3 crop plants
  • von Caemmerer Group - CO2 fixation and water loss of leaves
  • Comparative genomics and development of corals Ball (Eldon) Group - The molecular basis of coral biology
    Coral development and comparative genomics Ball (Eldon) Group - The molecular basis of coral biology
    Detection of fungal pathogens and their associated microbiome Schwessinger Group - Plants, fungi, evolution
    Development of the coral nervous system and its role in metamorphosis Ball (Eldon) Group - The molecular basis of coral biology
    Domestic applicants for PhDs in Ecology & Evolution
    Domesticating Australian native bees for use as alternative pollinators Mikheyev Group - Evolutionary genomics
    Ecological processes in evolutionary radiations Cardillo Group - Macroevolution, Macroecology and Biogeography
    Ecology, genetics and physiology of animal-plant interactions Foley Group - Animal-Plant interactions
    Epigenetic integration of genomic and environmental information in honey bees Maleszka Group - From molecules to behaviour
    Epigenetics of brain plasticity Maleszka Group - From molecules to behaviour
    Evolution at extremes: Macroevolutionary responses to harsh environments
  • Bromham Group - Macroevolution, molecular evolution & Language evolution
  • Cardillo Group - Macroevolution, Macroecology and Biogeography
  • Evolution of salt tolerance in plants Bromham Group - Macroevolution, molecular evolution & Language evolution
    Evolution of scald and net form of net blotch Linde Group - Population genetics, evolution, phylogeography and molecular phylogenetics of fungi
    Evolution of the Australian Onychophora Rowell Group - Population genetics, karyology and phylogeography of terrestrial invertebrates
    Evolution of Varroa tolerance in feral honey bees Mikheyev Group - Evolutionary genomics
    Evolutionary biology of Australian reptiles and amphibians Keogh Group - Evolutionary biology & ecology of reptiles and amphibians
    Evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of ageing in superb fairy-wrens (current PhD)
    Evolutionary significance of early developmental environments: Interaction between maternal effects and offspring thermal environment on phenotypic development and fitness Noble Group - Animal ecophysiology and evolutionary ecology
    Evolvability Bromham Group - Macroevolution, molecular evolution & Language evolution
    Evolving with sexually transmitted infections Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    Factors impacting gene silencing efficacy in plants Millar Group - Plant microRNA biology and disease resistance
    Fungal bioinformatics Linde Group - Population genetics, evolution, phylogeography and molecular phylogenetics of fungi
    Fungal genomics, evolution, and host adaptation Schwessinger Group - Plants, fungi, evolution
    Genes, diet and environment Maleszka Group - From molecules to behaviour
    Genetics and evolution of variation in chemical defence against herbivores Foley Group - Animal-Plant interactions
    Genetics to improve production of essential oils from Australian trees Foley Group - Animal-Plant interactions
    Genital evolution in insects Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    Genome wide association mapping Borevitz Group - Plant genomics for climate adaption
    Genomes on islands: Improving management of Australia's threatened mammals Moritz Group - Evolutionary biogeography & conservation
    Honours projects are now available to study a wide range of topics in biosecurity and pathogenesis Solomon Group - Wheat biosecurity
    HONOURS/MSC PROJECTS: Thermal tolerance and response to climate change in plants from extreme environments Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
    Identification of 2000 novel protein isoforms in the human and mouse genomes Fahrer Group - Immunology
    Identification of molecular mechanisms of action and direct target genes of developmental signalling pathways in sponges Adamska Group - Genomic and evolutionary basis of animal development
    Identification of target genes of developmental transcription factors Brachyury, Gata and Caudal in sponges Adamska Group - Genomic and evolutionary basis of animal development
    Impact of early thermal environments on thermal behaviour and physiology in lizards Noble Group - Animal ecophysiology and evolutionary ecology
    Landscape genomics Borevitz Group - Plant genomics for climate adaption
    Living on the edge: how do Australian plants cope with extreme temperature? (ARC Linkage 2019-22) Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
    Maternal effects and phenotypic development in lizards Noble Group - Animal ecophysiology and evolutionary ecology
    Metagenomics and the analysis of microbial genomes Huttley Group - Bioinformatics, molecular evolution of genomes
    MicroRNA target recognition; the role of the target RNA secondary structure. Millar Group - Plant microRNA biology and disease resistance
    Molecular evolution and Phylogenetics Huttley Group - Bioinformatics, molecular evolution of genomes
    Multi-trait plasticity: understanding temperature response of alpine plants in a warming world (ARC Discovery 2017-20) Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
    New approaches to discovering biodiversity and understanding its response to climate change Moritz Group - Evolutionary biogeography & conservation
    Nutrient acquisition in apicomplexan parasites
  • Kirk Group - Membrane transport in parasites
  • Lehane Group - Antimalarial drug action and resistance
  • van Dooren Group - Cell biology and metabolism of apicomplexan parasites
  • Organic components of the coral skeleton Ball (Eldon) Group - The molecular basis of coral biology
    Pest resistance and sustainable plantation management of eucalypts Foley Group - Animal-Plant interactions
    PhD projects are now available to study a wide range of topics in biosecurity and pathogenesis Solomon Group - Wheat biosecurity
    PHD STUDENT RESEARCH - Ecology and ecophysiology in Australian desert and alpine plant species Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
    Phylogenetics of Eucalypt beetles Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification of Australian plants
  • Bromham Group - Macroevolution, molecular evolution & Language evolution
  • Cardillo Group - Macroevolution, Macroecology and Biogeography
  • Postgraduate projects with research support: Drivers of climate change responses in the Australian Alps
  • Borevitz Group - Plant genomics for climate adaption
  • Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
  • Rate of contemporary adaptation in wild vertebrates
    Rates of molecular evolution in parasites Bromham Group - Macroevolution, molecular evolution & Language evolution
    Re-assembly of biological communities during the Cenozoic Moritz Group - Evolutionary biogeography & conservation
    Seed and seedling ecology Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
    Sexual selection in changing in environments Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    Skeleton formation in soft corals and calcareous sponges Adamska Group - Genomic and evolutionary basis of animal development
    Sponge and coral microbiomes Adamska Group - Genomic and evolutionary basis of animal development
    Statistical methods of sequence divergence Huttley Group - Bioinformatics, molecular evolution of genomes
    Student opportunities in molecular analysis of CO2 acquisition by cyanobacteria Price Group - The cyanobacterial CO2 concentrating mechanism and the use of synthetic biology to transfer it to C3 crop plants
    Testing environmental causes of population decline in an Australian song-bird (current PhD)
    The biology of the mitochondrion of apicomplexan parasites van Dooren Group - Cell biology and metabolism of apicomplexan parasites
    The causes and consequences of dispersal in seed beetles Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    The chemical, biochemical, genetic and ecological basis of pollinator-driven speciation in Australian orchids Peakall Group - Pollination, evolution and conservation
    The ecological and molecular basis of pollinator-driven speciation in Australian orchids Peakall Group - Pollination, evolution and conservation
    The ecology and evolution of aposematism Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    The evolution and functional sigificance of leaf shape Nicotra Group - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology
    The evolution of cooperative behaviour in Rabbit fish Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    The impact of climate change on inter-specific interactions Langmore Group - Avian evolutionary and behavioural ecology
    The role of hormones in parental care Head Group – Ecology and evolution of sex
    Transcriptome and genome sequencing of the coral, Acropora millepora Ball (Eldon) Group - The molecular basis of coral biology
    Wild eco-evolutionary dynamics: why is an iconic Australian bird declining? (ARC Discovery 2019-2023))