ANA CAICEDO'S LAB

Potential Rotations
The major research goal in my lab is understanding the genetic basis of adaptation in plant species, as well as the population and genomic context in which adaptive evolution occurs. I am open to hosting rotations in one of the areas below, or developing related rotation projects based on student’s interests. Please contact me for further information (420G Morrill 2; caicedo@bio.umass.edu).

1. The evolutionary genomics of red rice.
Red rice is a weedy form of rice (Oryza sativa) that invades cultivated fields in the U.S., and competes aggressively with the crop. We are interested in determining the origin of weedy rice the evolutionary processes that have given rise to the weedy phenotype. Possible factors in the origin of red rice are the introduction of foreign wild relatives, introgression between crops and contaminants, and “de-domestication” (inadvertent selection by humans for weedy traits). Current projects involve characterizing the population structure of weedy rice, and investigating variation in candidate genes for weed-associated traits, such as flowering time and seed shattering. Molecular evolutionary analyses and assessments of genealogical relationships between alleles in weedy, wild, and cultivated rice varieties, will allow us to determine the source of weedy traits and the roles of various microevolutionary processes in the emergence of weedy rice.

2. Trait evolution in wild tomatoes.
Wild tomatoes (Solanum sp.) comprise ~13 species, inhabiting a diversity of environments in South America, and possessing a wide range of phenotypic variation. We are interested in identifying genes contributing to diversification and stress tolerance in wild tomatoes. A current project focuses on the evolution of fruit color, a trait that has probably affected the dynamics of seed dispersal. Interested students would be involved in characterizing variation in candidate genes of the carotenoid synthesis pathway and determining pigment content in different species. Further projects based on other wild tomato traits can be developed.

3. Domestication of rice variety groups.
Although the domestication of major rice variety groups, primarily indica and japonica, has been intensely studied, less is know about the origin of minor specialty groups, such as the aus and the aromatic. The origin of these minor groups reflects either adaptation to local growth conditions, or strong cultural preferences for characteristic traits. We are interested in using available population genomic information for domesticated rice and its wild ancestor to identify the origin of rice specialty groups and determine the roles of population demographic processes and selection in the evolution of rice varieties.