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John Logsdon Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

The Logsdon lab works on a variety of related topics in molecular evolutionary genetics:

SEX & MEIOSIS:

  1. Exploring the origin and evolution of meiotic genes in diverse eukaryotes.
  2. Molecular evolution and phylogeny of meiotic genes.
  3. Isolation of meiosis-related genes from protists and other eukaryotes.
  4. Functional studies of meiotic genes isolated from diverse eukaryotes.
  5. Bioinformatic studies of meiosis and recombination/repair genes.

TREES:

  1. Understanding the molecular phylogeny of eukaryotes.
  2. Using complex gene families to root the eukaryotic tree of life.
  3. Isolating new protein genes to address thorny issues in eukaryotic phylogeny.

LATERAL GENE TRANSFER:

  1. Developing a better understanding of the frequency, roles, distribution and phylogenetic impacts of LGT in prokaryotes.
  2. Comparative bioinformatics of bacterial genomes.
  3. Mathematical modeling/ computer simulation.

GENOMES:

  1. Discovery and analysis of genomic sequence from key protists.
  2. Comparative bioinformatics of protist genomes as grist for hypothesis-driven research in the lab.

INTRONS:

  1. Understanding of the origin and evolution of spliceosomal introns
  2. What are their roles in eukaryotic genome evolution? What is their phylogenetic distribution?
Selected Publications

Demma, L.J., T.H. Vanderford, J. M. Logsdon, Jr., M.B. Feinberg and S.I. Staprans. 2006. Evolution of the uniquely adaptable lentiviral envelope in a natural reservoir host. Retrovirology 3:19.

Thomas, S.E., M. Soltani-Bejnood, P. Roth, R. Dorn, J. M. Logsdon, Jr. and B.D. McKee. 2005. Identification of two proteins required for conjunction and regular segregation of achiasmate homologs in Drosophila male meiosis. Cell, 123:555-568.

Demma, L.J., J. M. Logsdon, Jr., T.H. Vanderford, M.B. Feinberg and S.I. Staprans. 2005. SIVsm quasispecies adaptation to a new simian host. Public Library of Science , Pathogens 1(1): e3.

Stewart, A.D., J. M. Logsdon, Jr. and S.E. Kelley. 2005. An empirical study of the evolution of virulence under both horizontal and vertical transmission. Evolution, 59:730-739.

Nicholson*, A.C., S.-B. Malik*, J. M. Logsdon, Jr. and E.G. van Meir. 2005. Functional evolution of ADAMTS genes: Evidence from analyses of phylogeny and gene organization. BioMednetCentral Evolutionary Biology. 5:11.

Ramesh*, M.A., S.-B. Malik* and J. M. Logsdon, Jr. 2005. A phylogenomic inventory of meiotic genes: Evidence for sex in Giardia and an early eukaryotic origin of meiosis. Current Biology, 15:2:185-191.

Li, Y., W. G. Kelly, J. M. Logsdon, Jr., A. M. Schurko, B. D. Harfe, K. L. Hill-Harfe, and R. A. Kahn. 2004. Functional genomic analysis of the ADP-ribosylation factor family of GTPases: phylogeny among diverse eukaryotes and function in C. elegans. FASEB Journal, 18:1834-1850.

Logsdon, J.M. Jr. 2004. Worm genomes hold the smoking guns of intron gain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 101:11195-11196.

*equal contributions

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