In the Ness lab we investigate how the generation of variation by mutation and recombination interacts with genetic drift and natural selection to drive evolution. Our work combines natural and experimental populations with newfangled genomic technologies. 

Mutation

Mutation creates all new genetic variants. How does variation in mutation rate across the genome and between individuals drive evolution?

REcombination

Recombination shuffles variation into new combinations. This shuffling affects whether natural selection can favour adapttive mutations and purge harmful mutations. 

Drift vS. Selection

The fate of variation created by mutation and recombination is decided by the balance between drift and selection. How have these two forces combined to create genomes as we know them?