Yanlei Feng
PhD Student
Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity
Plant Evolutionary Genomics
Hüfferstraße 1
D-48149 Münster
Tel.: +49 251/83-21044
Mail
Research interests
- Organellar genomes
- Evolution of parasitic plants
- Heterotrophic lifestyle
Research projects
Mitogenome evolution in parasitic Orobanchaceae
The reductive revolution of parasitic plants' plastid genomes now is clearly understood, while still little is known about mitochondrial genomes. Based on comparative genome analysis of autotrophic, hemiparasitic and holoparasitic plants of the Orobanchaceae, we elucidate the evolutionary trajectories of mitogenome evolution as parasitic specialization unfolds.
Point of no return: Understanding the eco-evolutionary feedback loop of genomic mutations and lifestyle shifts
The chlorophytic green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a well-studied model organism. It is convenient to cultivate and can live under autotrophic, mixotrophic as well as heterotrophic conditions depending on the supply of an external carbon source and light. We evolve strains of Chlamydomonas to detect the adaptive genomic and metabolic reconfigurations under drastic environmental change.