Our Team | Current Projects | Publications | Contact Us

Mission

There is abundant phenotypic variation between species and within the human population. However, the genetic basis for most of this phenotypic variation is not known. The goal of our research is to use comparative genomics to address this fundamental gap in knowledge. In particular, our research uses a comparative genomics approach to identify when and how candidate functional genetic differences between species arose, and then to apply that knowledge to the development of better animal models of human disease and to a more complete understanding of the evolutionary history of the human genome.

Background

The evolution of genomic sequence is the primary molecular basis for the diversity within and among species. Humans and other placental mammals share a common ancestor that lived some 100 million years ago. Since that time, thousands of unique species have evolved, giving rise to the diverse spectrum of present day eutherians. While the phenotypic differences between humans and other mammals are obvious, the differences in genomic sequence that make each species and individual unique are not. Changes in DNA sequence are also responsible for many human diseases. Thus, a better understanding of how and why alterations in genomic sequence take place is important for investigating the genetic basis of human disease. Our research uses genomic technologies and resources to study the molecular basis for genome evolution as a means to gain novel insights into what makes individuals and species unique.

The Human Genome Project produced the sequence of the human genome and subsequently has provided the infrastructure for many more vertebrate genomes to be sequenced. One of the key rationales for pursuing genome projects in other species, ie comparative genomics, is the information one can gain regarding the function of genomic sequence through interspecies sequence comparison. By evaluating multiple species genomic sequence comparisons in a phylogenetic context, it is possible to begin to trace how and when genomic sequence has evolved over time.

The Thomas lab has focused on the development and application of methods for targeted mapping and sequencing of targeted regions of vertebrate genomes. The ability to isolate and compare genomic sequence from many species allows us to study genome evolution of particular genes and regions in the human genome. Such studies have provided us with the expertise and resources to undertake a variety of comparative genomics projects that incorporate bioinformatics, molecular biology and genetics. General topics that our lab has focused on include: gene loss as a molecular mechanism of evolution, genome evolution, and human disease modeling.