Intragenomic conflict in mosses

Sex chromosome evolution in mosses

This project explores intragenomic conflict, competition between genes within the same genome, in the context of moss reproductive biology and sex chromosome evolution. Mosses offer a unique and powerful model for studying conflict due to their haploid maternal generation and distinct U/V sex chromosomes. Students will investigate signatures of conflict through transcriptomic and genomic analyses, including allele-specific expression, imprinting, and miRNA regulation. Comparative analyses between species with different mating systems will help assess how reproductive strategies shape conflict-related traits. This project combines evolutionary biology, gene regulation, and cutting-edge genomics to establish mosses as a novel model for understanding conflict within genomes.