Section for Evogenomics

Research director of the Section for Evogenomics, Professor Tom Gilbert

The Section for Evogenomics applies integrated ‘omics approaches, that draw principally from genomics, transcriptomics, metabarcoding, metagenomics and proteomics. The aim is to provide new (and sometimes unorthodox) solutions to classic questions concerning both ecology and evolution but also to applied topics such as biomedicine, food production and agriculture.

Research focus

The interests of our research groups are broad, but are unified in the belief that state of the art ‘omics technologies have enormous potential to offer across the natural and applied sciences. We embrace initiatives to turn methods once highly specialised and restrictive in their application such as genomics and proteomics, into tools of widespread general relevance. In this regard, we both invest considerable effort into the standardisation and democratisation of these, but also showcase their relevance widely.

“Our group members represent a remarkably broad range of expertise, spanning genomics and the medical sciences, archaeology, ecology and even wine and cheese making, as well as the state-of-the-art infrastructure for generating and analysing massive ‘omics datasets at cost-effective prices. Thanks to this wide profile, our research has influenced many areas of science”, says Professor Tom Gilbert, Head of Section.

Main findings

Using a hologenomic framework to explain the evolution and mechanisms of obligate blood-feeding in vampire bats:
Hologenomic adaptations underlying the evolution of sanguivory in the common vampire bat

Combining archaeology and ‘omics to deconstruct how we shaped wine grapes during the past millennia: 
Palaeogenomic insights into the origins of French grapevine diversity

Advocating how hologenomic frameworks can be used to optimise the production of animals:
Applied Hologenomics: Feasibility and Potential in Aquaculture