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New website - 

The Havird lab's new website can be accessed here via UT. This site will no longer continue to be maintained. 

Welcome to the Havird Lab!

Our research focuses on molecular evolution, genomics, and physiology using an integrative framework. Ongoing projects examine how the evolution of mitochondria and plastids influences key biological processes, including speciation, the origins of sex, and environmental adaptation. High-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, and wet lab methods are typically used in our work to address broad evolutionary topics. Study organisms and habitats are diverse and currently include angiosperms, shrimps, aquatic insects, and fishes.  

Angiosperms with atypical rates of mitochondrial evolution (e.g., Silene species) are an ideal system to study coevolution with the nuclear genome

Anchialine habitats show extreme fluctuations in salinity and temperature

Anchialine shrimps are models for environmental adaptation and mitonuclear coevolution

A model of the human mitoribosome, with nuclear-encoded residues in yellow, mitochondrial-encoded residues in green, and residues representing interactions between the two in red

News and Updates

Will rotates in the lab

February 12th, 2019

Will (Jiawei) Han is beginning a rotation in the lab as part of the Cell and Molecular Biology graduate program. Will is examining the role of cytonuclear interactions in speciation during his rotation. Welcome Will! 

Hot off the press: five themes in mitonuclear interactions

February 8th, 2019

A new paper authored by Geoff Hill, Justin, and several others in the mitonuclear community is available via Biological Reviews. One of the nice points of this review is identifying 5 key themes that should guide future studies involving mitonuclear interactions. One word summaries of the five important things to consider: ontogeny, physiology, generation, smallness(?), and environment. If you want to learn more, check out the paper

SICB 2019 - Mitonuclear symposium

January 9th, 2019

Thanks to all the participants in the "Beyond the powerhouse" symposium we had at the 2019 SICB meeting! It was a fantastic group of presenters with lots of equally fantastic science being presented. I think we all learned something and the field in general will hopefully move forward based on the topics and ideas discussed. Stay tuned for a special issue of Integrative and Comparative Biology featuring papers from the presenters! 

Undergraduate researchers joining the lab

October 29th, 2018

Five new undergraduate researchers have joined the lab recently - Kiley and Samantha are working on molecular evolution and mitonuclear interactions, Suzette and Matan are investigating metabolic rate and thermal adaptation, and Hunter is examining selfish evolution in mitogenomes. Welcome everyone! 

Preprint on mt function available

October 22nd, 2018

We have a new preprint available on bioRxiv examining mitochondrial function in Silene plants that have bizarre mitochondrial genomes. 

Pipettes and tips have arrived!

October 10th, 2018

A very important day in the lab - we now have the ability to move small volumes of liquid precisely. 

Hot off the press - Cytonuclear Integration Review

July 20th, 2018

Our new review on cytonuclear integration and coevolution is now available via Nature Reviews Genetics. This was a great opportunity to learn more about cytonuclear interactions, especially the evolutionary origins and implications of "supernumerary" subunits. Thanks to all co-authors!  

Mitonuclear Art!

April 4th, 2018

Megan Parker, a local Fort Collins artist, has made a very cool etching illustrating the possible role of mitonuclear interactions during speciation. This was part of the "Intersecting Methods" program put on by R&D Editions where printmakers collaborate with scientists to create a unique portfolio of science-inspired prints. Megan did a fantastic job of conveying how mitochondrial molecular divergence may lead to reproductive isolation - with skulls! 

SICB 2018

January 3rd-7th, 2018

I'll be at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology and will be giving a talk on mitonuclear interactions and speciation on Fri Jan 5th. Looking forward to a great meeting!

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