Medical School
Twin Cities
Genome rearrangements resulting in copy number variation (CNV) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) are frequently observed during the somatic evolution of cancer and promote rapid adaptation of fungi to novel environments. In human fungal pathogens, CNV and LOH can confer increased virulence and antifungal drug resistance, yet the mechanisms driving these rearrangements are not completely understood.
This research utilizes comparative genomics to determine what mechanisms promote genome rearrangements and how these rearrangements impact phenotype. The comparative genomics include analyses of thousands of clinical isolates, in vitro and in vivo evolved isolates during the acquisition of drug resistance. The transcriptomic analyses highlight how large genome changes impact gene expression and fitness.