My primary research interest is to develop a better understanding of the highly dynamic processes and the corresponding functional consequences of genome evolution. To accomplish this research I conduct comparative genomic studies using next-generation sequencing, computational/bioinformatics approaches and mathematical modeling in the context of rigorous, statistical frameworks. My work on genome evolution has been carried out on bacteria and mitochondria and has focused on the exchange of genetic material between more or less distantly related genomes. This exchange is known as horizontal (or lateral) gene transfer (HGT).
