Melissa E. Williams

The paper sequenced genomes of Poaceae sister species to identify metabolic innovations that predate grass evolution, revealing gene duplications linked to starch and lignin biosynthesis.

This study investigates the origins and adaptive consequences of polyploidy in the prairie grass Andropogon gerardi, finding that whole genome duplication is common and provides fitness advantages in xeric climates.

This paper constructs a sorghum pangenome and identifies trait-associated variants to inform climate-aware genome-enabled breeding strategies.

The paper develops genomic resources to improve American chestnut resistance to pathogens through breeding and gene editing.

This study shows that long-read genome sequencing improves diagnostic yield for neurodevelopmental disorders by identifying variants missed by short-read sequencing.

This paper uses long-read genome sequencing to identify pathogenic variants in neurodevelopmental disorders, finding clinically relevant structural variants in two of six probands.