Understanding Prokaryotic Genome Evolution and Diversity

Dr. Doolittle and his international and domestic collaborators are investigating the genomes of prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) characterized for instance by the absence of a nuclear membrane and organelles such as mitochondria. The goal of the research is to understand the role that the lateral transfer of genes, or blocks of genes, between lineages and species plays in the evolution and adaptation of prokaryotes. The investigations assume that the processes that have shaped the evolution of prokaryotes are fundamentally different from the way other organisms have evolved. The researchers will develop new statistical tools for analyzing the genome sequence data for prokaryotes and interpreting data that are of universal interest to students of evolutionary biology.