Investigating the Role of Mutations in Genome Evolution

Mutations are small changes in DNA that can have big effects on how organisms adapt and evolve. My project investigates how mutations arise in yeast and how factors like ploidy, environment, and genome organization influence their occurrence. I will use a fluctuation test, a fast and reliable method for measuring mutation rates at specific genes, to compare how different species respond to various conditions.

The first part of my project focuses on Kluyveromyces lactis, a haploid yeast species that has not been studied extensively. I will track mutations that inactivate a key gene such as URA3, providing insight into how haploid genomes accumulate mutations. For diploid species like Candida albicans, I will use an antibiotic resistance marker that regains function only after mutation, allowing me to study mutation patterns in organisms with two chromosome sets.

In addition to mutation rates, I will examine ploidy changes in Schizosaccharomyces pombe populations and observe how genome stability responds to environmental stress. This project combines hands-on experiments with fundamental questions about mutation, adaptation, and genomic resilience. By the end, it will provide a clear picture of how different yeast species maintain genome stability while still generating the mutations that drive evolution.

Faculty Supervisor:

Rob Ness

Student:

Partner:

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: