Genomes & their potential for change

Every genome has a size. And these sizes can be vastly different. See for yourself...

Chromosomes from a range of plants that have been investigated in the lab throughout (2022-2023). Images taken by Nusrat Sultana (mango), Nii-Ayi Ankrah (kenaf), Jessica Klekar (beet), Abdullah El-nagish (saffron), Sarah Breitenbach (larch).

This image shows the variable genome and chromosome sizes in plants. Look how the larch genome is several times the amount of the mango genome! However, this overview is not exhaustive, but limited to some of the organisms that went through the lab last year. If you look across angiosperm plants, genome sizes can vary between 80 megabasepairs and 150 gigabasepairs !

Despite the genome size differences of several orders of magnitudes, gene numbers are very similar across the angiosperms. -- So what causes these large-scale changes in the genome? 

A hint: not the genes, not single base pair changes. Instead, what makes for most variability are: 

Our lab is interested in these genome components/genomic events and we strive to be able to identify them, to understand where they came from, and to predict how they will impact the genomes. 

About our lab's name "genomes-in-time"

Our interest in genomic change is reflected in the lab name "genomes-in-time" 🧬⏳.