Research Topic
I am interested in the molecular evolutionary mechanisms that underlie adaptation. The interactions between plants and their specialist insect herbivores provide an excellent opportunity to study the evolution of species interaction and adaptation on a molecular level. A novel detoxifying enzyme (Nitrile-specifier Protein: NSP) in the butterfly family Pieridae redirects the hydrolysis of plant chemical defense glucosinolates to nitriles rather than toxic isothiocyanates in caterpillar guts, enabling them to feed on plants in the order Brassicales (Eurosid II, Dicotyledons) (Wittstock et al 2004, PNAS). The appearance of NSP coincides with the emergence of the Brassicales family and was followed by significantly increased diversification rates identifying NSP as a key evolutionary innovation (Wheat et al 2007, PNAS). In my PhD I investigate the molecular evolutionary events that gave rise to this unique detoxifying enzyme and the evolutionary constraints NSP is experiencing at present.
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