Luke T Dunning

Genomic signatures of local adaptation in marram grass highlight the importance of provenance in dune restoration

This study identifies genomic signatures of local adaptation in marram grass, showing that local provenance is important for dune restoration.

Utilising nuclear encoded plastid DNA to identify donors of grass-to-grass lateral gene transfer

This study identifies donor species of grass-to-grass lateral gene transfer using nuclear-encoded plastid DNA, finding two lateral acquisitions from specific lineages.

Dietary restriction is evolutionary conserved on the phenotypic and mechanistic level

This study investigates the conservation of dietary restriction (DR) mechanisms across Drosophila species, finding phenotypic conservation but taxonomic specificity in genetic responses.

Horizontal gene transfer fuels metabolic innovation in the grass Zuloagaea bulbosa

This study shows bidirectional horizontal gene transfer between maize and Zuloagaea bulbosa, with horizontally transferred genes enriched in biosynthetic gene clusters.

Adaptation to free-living drives loss of beneficial endosymbiosis through metabolic trade-offs

The paper shows that adaptation to free-living conditions in algal endosymbionts leads to loss of host benefits, driven by metabolic trade-offs, with nitrogen availability as a key factor.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly and linkage map for Silene uniflora reveal the recombination landscape in a rapidly evolving plant species

Intracellular niche specialisation drives evolutionary entrapment of endosymbiotic algae

This study shows that endosymbiotic algae evolve traits specialized for intracellular niches, reducing their fitness in extracellular environments, thereby stabilizing endosymbiosis through evolutionary entrapment.

Regulatory features determine the evolutionary fate of laterally acquired genes in plants

The paper investigates factors influencing the retention of laterally acquired genes in plants, finding that regulatory compatibility and expression similarity to donors increase persistence.

Gene turnover and contingency facilitated the repeated evolution of C4 photosynthesis in grasses

The paper identifies genetic precursors for C4 photosynthesis in grasses and shows that gene turnover facilitated its repeated evolution in the PACMAD lineage.

Plastic responses to past environments shape adaptation to novel selection pressures

This study shows ancestral plasticity to salt helped Silene uniflora adapt to zinc in mine-waste environments, demonstrating past-cue plasticity's role in rapid adaptation to novel habitats.

Nuclear phylogenomics of grasses (Poaceae) supports current classification and reveals repeated reticulation

This study constructs a nuclear phylogeny of grasses using genome-scale data, showing agreement with plastome phylogeny and evidence for repeated reticulation events.

Origin and evolution of the bread wheat D genome

The paper analyzes the genetic composition and history of the bread wheat D genome using a pangenome of its donor species, revealing contributions from discrete subpopulations of Aegilops tauschii.