Studying the mechanistic underpinnings and applications of polyploidy through genomics, experimental evolution, modeling, and Artificial Intelligence.

Whole genome duplication (WGD) is a driving biological force, from cells to ecosystems, and from agriculture to medicine. Nevertheless, its roles and impact in biological processes and across the tree of life remain elusive.The aim of this project is to gain deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying genome dominance in interspecific plant hybrids of the Festuca-Lolium complex at different ploidy levels using genomics and transcriptomics. Breeders want to bring interesting and adaptive traits together by combining whole genomes in hybrids, but perhaps the underlying networks are not actually compatible, and the predicted additive effects are not realized. Understanding rules underlying increases in ploidy and genetic diversity (the currency of breeding), may help breeders to choose breeding materials on predicted compatibility of networks underlying complementary growth types, necessary fertility characteristics and responses to environmental stress.