Rachel Lockridge Mueller

No support for cell size as a driver of tissue-level metabolic rates at the upper limits of animal cell size

The paper tests if cell size affects tissue-level metabolic rates in salamanders but finds no support for this relationship.

Size evolution of gigantic genomes suggests stochastic outcomes of transposable element/host silencing interactions

The paper examines TE/host interactions in salamander genomes and finds no correlation between genome size and TE deletion rates or suppression, suggesting stochastic TE accumulation in gigantic genomes.

Is intron removal by recursive splicing necessitated by the evolution of genomic gigantism?

The paper uses RNA-seq data from West African lungfish to test if recursive splicing is necessary for managing long introns in gigantic genomes, finding no evidence for widespread reliance on recursive splicing.

Comparative analysis of amphibian genomes: an emerging resource for basic and applied research

The paper evaluates 51 amphibian genomes to assess their utility for functional genomics, finding variation in quality, high transposable element content, and conserved synteny despite divergence.

Amphibian segmentation clock models suggest mechanisms of slowed development across increasing genome size and nuclear volume

The paper uses a mathematical model of the somitogenesis clock to investigate how increased genome and nuclear size slow developmental tempo in amphibians.

Transposable element and host silencing activity in gigantic genomes

The paper investigates TE silencing mechanisms in a salamander with a large genome, finding that piRNA pathway targets TEs proportionally to their expression and that males have higher TE expression than females.

Transposable element diversity remains high in gigantic genomes

The paper analyzes TE diversity in large salamander genomes and finds that TE diversity remains high despite genome expansion.

Gigantic Genomes Can Provide Empirical Tests of TE Dynamics Models -- An Example from Amphibians

The paper characterizes transposable element (TE) dynamics in the giant genome of Ichthyophis bannanicus and tests existing TE dynamics models.

Genus-wide characterization of bumblebee genomes reveals variation associated with key ecological and behavioral traits of pollinators

The paper characterizes bumblebee genomes across 17 species to identify genetic variation linked to ecological and behavioral traits, revealing insights into genome structure, evolution, and adaptation.