We study two main problems. First, we are focused on improving general understanding of how DNA specifies the characteristics of organisms. Much of this work involves using variation among individuals within species or differences between closely related species to systematically probe how multiple genes independently and in combination exert their effects on complex traits. We also use classical genetic approaches based on random and targeted mutagenesis to identify the genes and pathways that encode phenotypes that are likely to be important to the natural ecology of organisms. Second, we are generally interested in using large-scale whole genome sequencing to understand the selection pressures populations experience in nature. Our hope is that by examining populations over time, we will be able to directly observe the effects of natural selection on the genome and from this we will be able to identify the functional mechanisms by which populations adapt to dynamic environmental conditions.
