Genomics

I was selected to receive the AIM-AHEAD (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) and NIH National Center For Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) Training Program. This is an intensive 8-month program in advanced data analysis developed by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and utilizing the resources of the NCATS N3C Data Enclave and AIM-AHEAD’s data science training core.

Genetic analyses of mammalian gametogenesis and fertility have the potential to inform about two important and interrelated clinical areas: infertility and contraception. Here, we address the genetics and genomics underlying gamete formation, productivity and function in the context of reproductive success in mammalian systems, primarily mouse and human.

Overall, our work suggests that the M. m. bactrianus and M. m. helgolandicus subspecies are not well-justified taxonomic entities, emphasizing the importance of leveraging whole-genome sequence data to inform subspecies designations. Additionally, our investigation provides tailored experimental procedures for generating whole genome sequences from air-dried mouse skins, along with key genomic resources to inform future genomic studies of wild mouse diversity.

We discuss the potential roles of hybridization in terms of generating asexuality and novel morphological traits in lichens. Our results highlight the need for additional study of reticulate phylogenies when investigating species boundaries and evolutionary history, even in cases with well-supported topologies inferred from genome-scale data.