Going beyond macroevolutionary associations: testing gene-trait associations using genome modifications

Meaningful comparative genomic analyses require a robust phylogenetic hypothesis, accurately estimated times of divergence, genome alignments, homogeneously produced genome annotations, comparative evolutionary analyses of molecular evolutionary dynamics in the genomic regions likely to be involved in evolutionary novelty, and functional validation.

We will study the evolution of genomes in a species-rich group of moths, Noctuidae (Lepidoptera). Noctuidae have both a huge negative and positive impact on human society, as pests and pollinators.

With 12,000 described species and close to 200 chromosome level genomes available, and another 800 to be done in the next few years, they are poised to be a key group to understand genome evolution in relation to key traits and species diversification.

We will infer a robust phylogenomic topology for the family and test the hypothesis that the key traits of hostplant use (specialist versus generalist) and propensity to migrate (both relevant for becoming pests) are correlated with gene duplication and extinction across the genomes and across the phylogeny.

We will then go further by functionally validating the implicated gene duplication events using CRISPR/Cas9 for the key trait of polyphagy (a generalist strategy).

Our study will be a unique combination of phylogenomics, comparative genomics and functional validation, which will bring new understanding to the drivers behind the diversity of the moths.