(Internal) Transposable elements and genome size evolution in animals

Advisor: Ryan Gregory, Integrative Biology

Proposed computational co-advisor: Stefan Kremer, Computer Science

The amount of DNA in the genomes of animal species ranges more than 7,000-fold. This enormous variability has little to do with differences in the number of protein-coding genes or organismal complexity. Instead, most variability in DNA content is due to the presence of differing quantities of non-coding DNA, especially transposable elements. 

This project will make use of available genome sequences to explore questions about the evolution, diversity, and abundance transposable elements and their impact on genome size across a wide range of species.

This can be a one-semester or two-semester project.