The Smith lab group is primarily interested in examining evolutionary processes using new data sources and analysis techniques. We develop new methods to address questions about the rates and modes of evolution using the large data sources that have become more common in the biological disciplines over the last ten years. In particular, we use DNA sequence data to construct phylogenetic trees and conduct additional analyses about processes of evolution on these trees. In addition to this research program, we also address how new data sources can facilitate new research in evolutionary biology. To this end, we sequence transcriptomes, primarily in plants, with the goal of better understanding where, within the genome and within the phylogeny, processes like gene duplication and loss, horizontal gene transfer, and increased rates of molecular evolution occur.
Accomplishments and Awards
- 2022 Propelling Original Data Science (PODS) Grant Award: Unlocking the vault: machine learning methods for the mobilization of data from millions of plant images