In the Jitendra lab at CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), we're curious about how the incredible natural diversity we see on Earth came to be, what forces created it, and how it's changing today. As a result, we are attempting to comprehend the evolution process using computational tools/models and genome sequencing data analysis.
We explore genome evolution and the genetic alterations associated with individual and species variations by utilising the most recent comparative and functional genomic tools as well as the vast amount of genomic data accessible. Genomes, and specifically differences between them, are an important source of knowledge for understanding evolution and biology in general. They preserve the evolutionary history of populations, their relatedness patterns, demographics, and adaptations.
`scandalous` Rotifers are currently our primary model system. It is known that their desiccation tolerance confers tolerance to a number of stimuli, including high doses of radiation, desiccation, and freezing, at any point of their life cycle. The discovery that bdelloid rotifers can withstand large radiation doses should help researchers better understand how organisms repair their genomes and adapt to hostile environments. Radiation causes free radicals and DNA breaks in higher organisms, which have been related to inflammation, cancer, and aging. It is therefore thrilling to discover a metazoan organism capable of mending these damages. As a result, this species has been designated as a model organism, which should inspire new lines of research into radiation tolerance, chromosome rearrangement/repair, and medically significant disorders.
Their rapid adaptive radiation and horizontal acquisition of foreign genes, which resulted in the formation of over 500+ species, provides a great framework for studying the evolutionary processes and molecular mechanisms involved in rapid adaptation and diversification.