Ecological and evolutionary genomics

Our group investigates the genomic basis of the domestication of Mesoamerican plants and the function of microbiomes on the evolution of plants in general. Our biological models are the cycads (Dioon, Zamiaceae), chili pepper (Capsicum, Solanaceae) and vanilla (Vanilla, Orchidaceae). Through the description of genetic patterns and the characterization of genome functions, we seek to discover the evolutionary mechanisms that allow the adaptation of species to natural environments and to the human agroecosystem.

Research lines:

• Population genomics of crop wild relatives: reconstructing the domestication history of chilli pepper (Capsicum).
• Cycad population genomics.
• Comparative genomics of cycads and their coralloid root bacteria.
• Phylogenomics to identify genes underlying plant evolution.
• Genomics of fungi and bacteria microbiome highways in cycad roots.
• Ecological Genomics of plants and their endosymbionts.

Recent projects:

• “Cycads and the domestication of corn in the Mesoamerican landscape: elucidating a millenary relationship through genomics, archeology and cultural geography”. CONACYT – Frontiers in Science no. 901 (2016-2018).
• “Genetic variation of plants grown in Mexico: strategies to face climate change” CONACYT - Resolving National Problems 247730 (2016-2018).
• “Evolutionary genomics of Cycads”. Montgomery Botanical Garden Research Funds (2017-present).

Most relevant publications:

• 1. Unlocking a high bacterial diversity in the coralloid root microbiome from the cycad genus Dioon. PLOS ONE 14(2): e0211271. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211271, 2019.
• 2. Cycad Coralloid Roots Contain Bacterial Communities Including Cyanobacteria and Caulobacter spp. That Encode Niche-Specific Biosynthetic Gene Clusters. Genome Biol Evol. 11(1):319-334. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evy266, 2019.
• 3. Comparative transcriptome analysis of cultivated and wild seeds of Salvia hispanica (chia). Scientific Reports 9, Article number: 9761, 2019.
• 4. Back to the origin: in situ studies are needed to understand selection during crop diversification. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 5: 125, 2017.
• 5. Increasing metagenomic resolution of microbiome interactions through functional phylogenomics and bacterial sub-communities. Frontiers in genetics 7:4, 2016.

Recent publications:

To access all publications, click the following links: