Molekylär ekologi och evolution (MEEL) har sin grund inom fälten ekologi och evolutionsbiologi. MEEL är en gemensam forskningsmiljö som består av oberoende forskningsledare som använder sig av molekylära tekniker för att undersöka evolutionära och ekologiska problem. I slutet på 80-talet grundade Torbjörn von Schantz gruppen runt DNA-labbet, som fortfarande är centralt för vår grupp idag.

Vår forskning omfattar ett stort antal olika organismer, bland annat däggdjur, fåglar, insekter, alger, parasiter och bakterier. Oavsett organism använder vi gentekniker för att undersöka olika processer och mönster som anpassning, evolutionära restriktioner, evolution av genom, samevolution av parasiter och dess värddjur, immunitet, flercellighet, gruppgemenskap, fylogenetik, åldrande, könskromosomer, sexuella konflikter och artbildning.

Principal Investigators (PIs)

We collaborate closely on many projects. More detailed descriptions of our research can be found on our personal pages.

Staffan Bensch

Our group has a background in behavioural ecology and molecular ecology. We combine large-scale fieldwork with genomic analyses to understand the evolutionary genetics of adaptations. Presently, we carry out two projects in parallel: genetics and genomics of migratory songbirds and host-parasite evolution of avian malaria parasites. 

Charlie Cornwallis

Our group is interested in explaining the origin and breakdown of complex life. Life on earth has been shaped by several major evolutionary transitions. For example, transitions to multicellularity, sexual reproduction, group living (societies) and symbiotic existence have all played fundamental roles in the development of life. Our research focuses on investigating: (1) why these transitions occur; (2) how complex life is maintained; (3) what transformations occur in organismal design following transitions; and (4) under what conditions does complexity break down.

Bengt Hansson

We study evolutionary processes broadly, with a main focus on the evolutionary ecology of sex determination and sex chromosomes. We are also interested in the speciation process and how to protect threatened species. Our projects often include genome-wide data, which we analyse with population genetics approaches. Phenomena we have explored recently include introgression, adaptation, divergence, epistasis, sexual conflict, and repeated evolution. We work on Sylvioidea songbirds including the great reed warbler at Lake Kvismaren, finches on islands in the Atlantic Ocean, insects including damselflies and bumblebees, and dioecious plants. 

Dennis Hasselquist

In our group, we are interested in evolutionary, functional and behavioural ecology questions using molecular, genetic and genomic methods. We focus on two main aspects: 1) how disease ecology, life history strategies, migration and ageing processes influence ecological and evolutionary dynamics of a wild population of great reed warblers (our database contains information for 40 breeding seasons), and 2) how physiological drivers (particularly immune function and telomere dynamics) influence variation in health and fitness. The second aspect involves studies in wild (great reed warbler) and experiments in captive (zebra finches and canaries) study systems that address short- and long-term costs of immune system activation and infection.

Olof Hellgren

We work on ecological and evolutionary questions related to host-parasite interaction. We want to understand how observed genetic variation relates to species limits, how variation is maintained and distributed throughout populations or selected for within single infections. We further study gene-gene interactions between different hosts, parasites and vectors at different time points during infection cycles. We work primarily with natural host-parasite systems, with focus on avian malaria, using a variety of methods ranging from single-gene barcoding to genomics and dual-RNA sequencing.

Maja Tarka

In our group, we ask questions on how natural and sexual selection shapes phenotypes in wild populations, why some populations are more evolvable than others and how the genetic architecture of traits constrain or facilitate evolution. We address these questions in natural populations of great reed warblers and green tortoise beetles using quantitative and molecular genetics and genomics.

Helena Westerdahl

Pathogens evolve quickly and vertebrate hosts slowly – How can we keep up with all these pathogens? One important explanation is the enormous diversity that exists in the adaptive immune system of all vertebrates. In our group, we study the adaptive immune system in wild birds: (1) host-pathogen interactions within populations and (2) the evolution of the immune system, with a special focus on the enigmatic Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes. 

Arne Hegemann

Caroline Isaksson

Lars Råberg

Hannah Watson

Emily O’Connor

Associated PIs

Research support

• Tomas Johansson, PhD, responsible for the sequencing facility
• Jane Jönsson, Research engineer, responsible for the DNA lab
• Max Lundberg, PhD, bioinformatics support

Postdocs and researchers (host)

• Anna Drews (Helena Westerdahl)
• Homa Papoli Yazdi (Charlie Cornwallis)
• Maria Svensson-Coelho (Charlie Cornwallis)
• Michael Tobler (Dennis Hasselquist)
• Carolina Pacheco
• Zsófia Tóth
• Amparo Herrera Duenas
• Elsie Ye Xiong (Dennis Hasselquist)

PhD-students (supervisor)

• Violeta Caballero-Lopez (Staffan Bensch) 
• Simon Jacobsen Ellerstrand (Bengt Hansson)
• Qinyang Li (Charlie Cornwallis)
• Hongkai Zhang (Bengt Hansson, Dennis Hasselquist)
• Agnes Erland Hansson
• Lucia Ximena Alva Caballero
• Erica Winslott
• Mridula Nandakumar