Establishment and Maintenance of Subgenome Dominance in Allopolyploids

Many of the world's most important crops are polyploid or have recent polyploid origins, including canola, cotton, potato, maize, and wheat. 

Evolutionary History of Camelina (Brassicaceae) and Origins of Gold-of-Pleasure

A crop for thousands of years in southwestern Asia and Europe, gold-of-pleasure (Camelina sativa) served many uses as a forage, oilseed crop for food and fuel, and for fiber. Approximately one-hundred years ago, cultivation of this ancient crop largely ceased throughout Europe and Asia, although​ the reasons for this are not well documented. Recently a resurgence of research has identified gold-of-pleasure as a suitable crop for the production of renewable biofuels, in particular for the aviation industries. However, little was known about the genus Camelina, and how the ancient oilseed gold-of-pleasure was domesticated. I study the evolutionary history of this group using phylogenetic, population genetic, and genomic techniques. 

Figure modified from Brock et al. 2022 Horticulture Research