Genetics, Transgenics and Functional Genomics

We aim to contribute to the growing understanding of how genes and their regulation determine the attributes and functions of living organisms. The subjects of our research range from molecules to cells, whole organisms and populations.

Some research focuses on DNA, and how it can be 'cut and pasted' by enzymes to create new arrangements of genes. Other groups use DNA sequence information to predict protein structures and to reveal evolutionary relationships of groups of organisms. Several research groups are using 'model organisms', especially the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster which provides a model complex organism for studies on the genetics of behaviour, the molecular physiology of ion transport, cell signalling mechanisms, and genetic diseases. Our work on the genetic basis of human physiology and disease includes studies on cancer, viruses, neurological and psychiatric diseases, metabolic disease and diabetes, and the role of genetic instability in inherited disorders such as myotonic dystrophy and Huntington disease. We also study the contribution of genetic factors to body composition, athletic performance, and general health and fitness.