Our current research projects are:
Leishmania population genomics
We aim for a global understanding of Leishmania populations. We focus on understanding fundamental aspects of population, quantitative and evolutionary genetics that will enhance our ability the control of the parasite. We currently have one PhD position and one postdoctoral position available. Get in touch if you are interested: daniel.jeffares@york.ac.uk.
Diversity landscape of Leishmania infantum in Brazil
As part of the UK:Brazil Joint Centre Partnership in leishmaniasis we are using population genomics and quantitative genetic methods to understand the spread of Leishmania infantum in Brazil, and the effects of genetic diversity on disease severity and treatment outcomes.
Funders: Wellcome Trust, GCRF, MRC and FAPESP.
Collaborators: Jeremy Mottram (York), Carlos Henrique Nery Costa (Brazil), Elisa Cupolillo (Brazil)
Population genomics of Leishmania donovani in Africa
Recent MRC funding will describe the diversity of Leishmania donovani in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan.
Funder: MRC
Collaborators: Paul Kaye (York), Asrat Hailu (Ethiopia), Joseph Olobo (Uganda), Ahmed Musa (Sudan), Margaret Mbuchi (Kenya), Jane Mbui (Kenya).
» Genomics of the extremophile red alga Galdieria sulphuraria
With Seth Davies, we are investigating the weird and wonderful genome of Galdieria sulphuraria.
Funder: BBSRC
» Population genomics of plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum
With Ville Friman, we are applying population genomics to understand how R. solanacearum spreads through waterways in the UK and causes brown rot in potatoes.
Funder: BBSRC and NERC.
» Fission yeast population and functional genomics
I’ve used transposon mutagenesis of fission yeast to produce a fitness landscape of the fission yeast genome (see bioRxiv) and been involved in the analysis of of admixture with Jochen Wolf, see bioRxiv.
In the Bähler lab I described the genomic diversity of all known wild strains conducting the first 220 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for this species (Nature Genetics), examined the role of structural variation in the genome (Nature Communications), and the ability of fission yeast to make wine (PLOS One).
Funder: Wellcome Trust (to Jürg Bähler)
Daniel Jeffares has also studied:
- The origin and early evolution of life: the RNA world and the early evolution of life (see Journal of Molecular Evolution, Journal of Molecular Evolution, and Bioessays) and intron evolution (Science 2003, Trends in Genetics 2006 , Trends in Genetics 2008).
- Parasite genomics: Leishmania (Nature Genetics), Plasmodium (Nature genetics and PLOS Genetics).
