17.10.2023: Tony Heitkam (Graz): Evolutionary Genomics in Plants: a Chromosomal and Repetive DNA-Centered View (Antrittsvorlesung), HS 31.11, Institut für Biologie, Bereich Pflanzenwissenschaften, Schubertstraße 51, 17.00 bis 18.30 Uhr
Starting October 2023, Dr. Tony Heitkam will join the Institute of Biology as Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Genomics. With this lecture, she will introduce herself and her research. Dr. Heitkam investigates genomic change in plants – on individual and evolutionary time scales, in populations, and in response to environmental stimuli. For this, she looks at the largest and most variable genome fraction, the rapidly evolving repetitive DNAs. These may trigger genomic changes or may be read as a record of past change. Despite their impact on evolution, chromosome structure, and gene regulation, their repetitive nature complicates straightforward analysis. Consequently, repetitive DNAs are still barely understood. This urgently needs to change, as they are fundamental for addressing complex processes, such as the adaptation to climate change.
Method-wise, Dr. Heitkam uses a mix of genomic, epi- and cytogenetic tools (i.e., the lab, computers and microscopes) to address
I) repetitive DNAs as triggers of rapid genomic changes;
II) the epigenetic basis of clonal changes, heredity, and adaptability; &
III) the evolution of chromosomes and genomes.
Dr. Heitkam also looks for immediate applications of her research, for example in the breeding of more resilient plants (trees in our forests or crops on our fields).