What drives us
We take a multifaceted approach to study problems in evolutionary biology, using the tools of genetics, population genetics, experimental evolution, molecular evolution and bioinformatics. We also study a diverse array of organisms. Historically the lab has focused on the evolutionary genetics and comparative genomics of plant systems, including the genetics of domestication. Ongoing work on this theme continues with by focusing on perennial crops, their wild relatives, and their adaptation to across landscapes and climates. Another major ongoing theme in the lab is epigenomics, especially the interactiosn among epigenetic modifications, genetic variants, genome function and genome evolution. Ultimately, we seek to characterize the processes that contribute to evolutionary change.
The lab is located in the University of California, Irvine, a top-10 ranked public institution. The lab is a part of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, which houses a vibrant community of evolutionary geneticists including Drs Tony Long, Grace Lee, Kevin Thornton, JJ Emerson, Jose Ranz, and Adriana Briscoe. The department also has a community of amazing microbial ecologists who are interested in evolutionary questions, including Maria Rebolleda-Gomez, Alejandra Rodriguez-Verdugo, Tobin Hammer, Adam Martiny and Jennifer Martiny.
Mentoring, Diversity and Inclusion
The lab is committed to mentoring and inclusion. Mentoring focuses on providing each member of the lab with the opportunities that will best help their career and personal goals. A diverse group of lab alumni have had substantive success in both academia and industry.We are seeking Postdocs and Graduate Students!!
The lab is looking for gifted graduate students and postdocs. We currently have positions for one or two motivated postdoctoral fellows to study aspects of plant evolutionary genomics and population genetic inference. One of these positions will contribute to an NSF-funded project that is designed to study the evolutionary forces that act on secondary and tertiary structures in maize genomes. The project is a collaborative effort with the lab of Dr. JJ Emerson, who is also at UC Irvine, and builds on previous epigenetic work from the Gaut lab. This position requires a strong bioinformatic background, with experience in genomic analyses and familiarity with evolutionary principles.The second position, if funded, will explore aspects of spatial population genetics, utilizing simulations and methods of inference based on machine-learning methods. Computational efforts will be complemented by empirical population genetic analyses across a range of model systems. The goal is to understand the processes that shape the distribution of genetic variation across geographic space and to enhance the performance of metrics that measure the climate-genotype interface.
Feel free to contact Brandon Gaut (bgaut@uci.edu) with enquiries about working in the lab. Informal inquiries are welcome! Formal applications for postdoctoral positions can be submitted to https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF08999.