Theme : The many facets of chloroplasts– hosted by Dr. Juan C. Moreno

Abstract:
In my talk, I will describe experimental approaches to study genome evolution in real time. I will discuss three fundamental processes in eukaryotic genome evolution and show how they can be reconstructed in laboratory experiments: (i) the transfer of organellar (plastid and mitochondrial) genes to the nuclear genome, (ii) the horizontal movement of organellar DNA between plants, and (iii) the travel of nuclear genetic material between plants by horizontal genome transfer. I will describe our current knowledge about the underlying mechanisms, and discuss the role of gene and genome transfer events in the generation of natural diversity and in the formation of new species. Finally, I will show how horizontal gene transfer can be employed as a versatile tool in plant biotechnology and synthetic biology.

Bio:
Professor Ralph Bock is Director at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. His research team uses a wide range of cutting-edge techniques to investigate cell organelles and their interaction with the nucleus, develops tools for biotechnology and synthetic biology, and explores mechanisms of genome evolution and speciation. Bock is member of the National Academy of Science (Leopoldina), member of EMBO, and a Highly Cited Researcher. In 2017, he received the Martin Gibbs Medal of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) for his pioneering work on experimental evolution. He is senior editor of Plant Cell, and editorial board member of Plant Biotechnol. J. and Mol. Plant.

Visit the Spring Lecture Series webpage to view the full schedule and learn more about the upcoming lectures.