Eisen

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Laboratory of Jonathan A. Eisen

The Eisen Lab research focuses on understanding the genomic basis for the origin of novelty (new functions and processes) in microorganisms. For many years, studies in this area were of limited scope. However, the advent of genome sequencing has allowed one to study the origin of novelty on a more global level. The Eisen lab's main location is in the U. C. Davis Genome Center. Dr. Eisen has appointments in the Section of Evolution and Ecology and the Department of Medical Microbiology at U. C. Davis and an Adjunct Appointment at the Joint Genome Institute, where he runs a small "Phylogenomics" group.

General research areas -- Phylogenomics and the Origin of Novelty. ** More detail is available Here.

• Mechanisms of novelty generation.
• Evolvability.
• Predicting organisms biology from their genome sequences.
• Phylogenomic methods development.

Model systems for studying novelty. More detail is available Here.

• Phylogenomics and the tree of life.
• The evolution of intracellular symbioses.
• The functioning of communities of microbes in nature.
• The genomics and evolution of carbon fixation

Recent News

• Jonathan Eisen is the new Academic Editor in Chief of PLoS Biology. For more detail see my first editorial here.
• Jonathan Eisen's Evolution Textbook has been published. Entitled creatively "Evolution" this is a new textbook jointly authored by Jonathan Eisen, Nick Barton, David Goldstein, Derek Briggs and Nipam Patel. It is published by Cold Spring Harbor Press.
• Recent publications
  • Maresca JA et al. Identification of a fourth family of lycopene cyclases in photosynthetic bacteria. PNAS 104: 11784-11789.
  • Norais C et al. Genetic and physical mapping of DNA replication origins in Haloferax volcanii. PLoS Genet. 2007 May 18;3(5):e77.
• For more news see Jonathan Eisen's Work Blog
• For non news see = Jonathan's Davis, CA blog