• Fire ants on their genetic code
  • Larva of Owenia fusiformis (Image credit: Allan Carrillo)
  • Common starfish

Welcome to The Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics

The Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics (CEFG) is home to 28 active research groups who use cutting-edge technology to further our understanding of complex biological systems and processes. The Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics is at the forefront of research on non-model organisms studying gene-regulation underpinning development and behaviour, evolution of adaptive phenotypes, social organisation, and biological complexity.

Specifically, we build on traditional model systems to transpose multi-omics approaches to non-model organisms. Our interdisciplinary approach combines molecular biology, microscopy, computational biology, and in vivo experiments to study biological processes from the molecular level to a macroevolutionary scale.

Collectively, we seek to gain a functional understanding of how genomes generate the complexity of life on Earth. With this knowledge, we tackle the global challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, food security, disease prevention and healthy aging.

Research in the Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics is highly collaborative maintaining partnerships with leading institutions worldwide, fostering a global network of researchers to advance our understanding of genomics and biology. The centre benefits from access to state-of-the-art imaging, genomic and animal facilities. Our genome research is also an important component of our postgraduate education, being central to the “Bioinformatics”, “AI in the Biosciences”, and “Biodiversity and Conservation” MSc programmes at QMUL.

News

Recent Publications

  • Richards TA, Eme L, Archibald JM, Leonard G, Coelho SM, de Mendoza A, Dessimoz C, Dolezal P, Fritz-Laylin LK, Gabaldón T, Hampl V, Kops GJPL, Leger MM, Lopez-Garcia P, McInerney JO, Moreira D, Muñoz-Gómez SA, Richter DJ, Ruiz-Trillo I, Santoro AE, et al. (2024). Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes. PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science (PLoS) vol. 22 (11), e3002917-e3002917.  
    25-11-2024
  • Panchaksaram M, Freitas L and dos Reis M (2024). Bayesian Selection of Relaxed-Clock Models: Distinguishing between Independent and Autocorrelated Rates. Systematic Biology, Oxford University Press (OUP) 
    21-11-2024
  • Gao Y, Tan DS, Girbig M, Hu H, Zhou X, Xie Q, Yeung SW, Lee KS, Ho SY, Cojocaru V, Yan J, Hochberg GKA, de Mendoza A and Jauch R (2024). The emergence of Sox and POU transcription factors predates the origins of animal stem cells. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 15 (1) 
    14-11-2024

View more publications »

Recent Grants

Synthetic clinical data for underrepresented populations: a UK-France alliance
Matteo Fumagalli, Moneeza Kalhan Siddiqui and Venet Osmani
£9,500 DSIT Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (01-01-2025 - 31-03-2025)
Efficient computational technologies to resolve the Timetree of Life: from ancient DNA to species-rich phylogenies
Mario dos Reis
£460,301 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (29-11-2024 - 28-11-2027)
The evolution of developmental system drift in axial specification in Spiralia
Chema Martin Duran
£648,579 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-08-2024 - 31-07-2027)

View more grants »