In the Biodiversity Genetics research group, we are interested in how genetic differences among animal species shape differences in their phenotypes, and how adaptation to diverse environmental conditions is manifested at the cellular level. We also study the evolutionary basis of life-history strategies, particularly how organisms regulate the allocation of resources between reproduction and cellular maintenance – in other words, ageing.
To address these questions, we apply a broad range of experimental approaches in cell and molecular biology. In parallel, we work extensively with genome-level data from multiple species, as the investigation of genes underlying phenotypic variation is not meaningful without well-characterised genomic resources, namely reference-quality genome assemblies.
In addition to experimental evolutionary and physiological research, we are interested in genetic differentiation among species and in the use of DNA-based methods for species delimitation and biodiversity inventories.
We are situated at the Joensuu campus of the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland.