Rooting the Prokaryotic Tree of Life2

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators will analyze the genomic DNA of bacteria in order to understand the order in which major biological innovations occurred during the last 4 billion years. They will analyze DNA insertions and deletions within genes in order to determine which bacterial groups branched first within the tree of life. This process, called rooting, allows one to date early events in the evolution of life on Earth, such as the creation of 20% of Earth's atmosphere by the oxygen producing cyanobacteria. Their lab will correlate the appearance of novel molecular and genetic mechanisms, including oxygenic photosynthesis, with geological, climatological, and other environmental changes and thereby help understand early evolutionary events. Rooting the bacterial tree of life may contribute significantly to related scientific fields including microbiology, geology, paleontology, biochemical evolution, and genomics. The knowledge thereby obtained may also have important practical applications related to climate change and renewable energy sources. Representatives of underrepresented groups will also be involved in the research.