In preparation for The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC), set to take place in Orlando this July, Genes to Genomes is getting the inside scoop from many of the outstanding keynote speakers in our “Behind the Podium” series. Here, GSA member Nathaniel Sharp interviews vertebrate evolution researcher, David Kingsley.
Dr. David Kingsley
NS: It’s exciting that TAGC will involve researchers from so many different areas of genetics. What do you think ties us all together?
DK: I think of genetics as an algorithm to solve biological problems. The principles are always the same, so you can learn how to tackle your own problems by seeing examples from other systems. No matter what you’re working on, genetics can cut through the fog and take you to the key players. TAGC will bring people together to see the power of modern genetics in action.
NS: What will you talk about in your keynote address at the conference?
DK: I want to show how genetics lets us study a range of problems across organisms. One thing we do in my lab is use sticklebacks to learn about the genetic architecture of evolution. Multiple stickleback populations have gone through morphological changes relatively recently, which lets us cross them, map the important changes, and explore whether evolutionary mechanisms are repeatable. As we find common principles that underlie how evolution works, we can extrapolate to other systems. For example, it turns out that certain adaptive color changes have a common genetic basis in sticklebacks and humans. We can study a molecular pathway by looking at fish in British Columbia or people with blond hair in Iceland. Same gene, same problem.
NS: What do you like about working with sticklebacks?
DK: They’re a great organism for asking classic biological questions about evolution. Countless experiments have already been done in natural environments, and it’s all happened so recently that we can find the underlying mechanisms using genetic approaches. It’s nice to get outdoors to collect and study them, but they’re also easy to raise in the lab and they have compact genomes.
NS: How do you think the use of genomic tools has affected genetics research?
DK: The impact has been huge already. These tools let us read the historical record of evolutionary change and study genetics in systems where it wasn’t possible before. Comparing genomes will also teach us about the molecular basis of becoming human. We can now read and enumerate the differences between organisms to find the changes that make humans unique. The big increase in brain power is one trait that I’ll talk about at the meeting.
NS: How has your experience with the GSA affected your research?
DK: The Genetics Society of America journals—GENETICS and G3—are the essential archive of our field. When I was on the Board (2001–20013), we voted to digitize past issues, because looking back through the history of GENETICS is a great way to find both classic results and important problems that could be revisited with new methods. Looking through the journals, I’m always amazed by what has been accomplished, be it last week or a hundred years ago.
NS: What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in genetics?
DK: Pick a problem that you really love—and not just what’s trendy—because that’ll help sustain you through the ups and downs of doing research. We’re at a point in genetics where there’s a huge arsenal of tools available, so if you focus you can figure out almost anything. The premium is on choosing interesting problems, so choose wisely!
Nathaniel Sharp is a postdoctoral fellow studying evolutionary genetics at the University of British Columbia. He uses experimental and genomic methods to investigate spontaneous mutation rates and sex-specific selection in model organisms.
Guest posts are contributed by members of our community. The views expressed in guest posts are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by the Genetics Society of America. If you'd like to write a guest post, e-mail jtreboschi@genetics-gsa.org.
View all posts by Guest Author »Read more in
-
Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Julio Molina Pineda
We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Julio Molina Pineda Policy and Advocacy University of Arkansas Research Interest My research interests focus on using model organisms to genetically dissect complex traits related to human disease. My…
-
Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Peiwei Chen
We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Peiwei Chen Accessibility Subcommittee California Institute of Technology Research Interest Far from a harmonious place, the genome is a battleground, where every bit of DNA fights for inheritance and…
-
#Dros23 GSA Poster Award winners
We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 64th Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all! Undergraduate Students 1st Place: Sofia Karter Lopez, University of Toronto “Rab11 mediates E-cadherin recycling during…
-
Congratulations to the Fall 2022 DeLill Nasser Awardees!
GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics for Fall 2022! Given twice a year to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, DeLill Nasser Awards support attendance at meetings and laboratory courses. The award is named in honor of DeLill Nasser, a long-time GSA supporter and National Science Foundation…
-
New editors join GENETICS, G3 editorial boards
Several new editors are joining the GSA Journals. We’re excited to welcome Ricardo Zayas to the GENETICS editorial board under the Molecular Genetics of Development section, and on the G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics board, we welcome Polly Campbell, Kevin Vogel, Joe Parker, and Ricardo Mallarino. Ricardo Zayas Associate Editor Ricardo Zayas is a Professor of Biology at…
-
Worms and Flies Provide Key Clues to Medical Mystery
This article is part of a series of posts outlining the history and impact of research in experimental organisms. The series is developed in collaboration with the GSA Public Communications and Engagement Committee. By the time Bertrand Might was six months old, it was clear something was amiss. His muscles weren’t developing normally; he was…
-
Congratulations to the 2023 Early Career Leadership Program Cohort!
The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is excited to announce the latest cohort of student, postdoc, and early-career research leaders joining the Early Career Leadership Program. Participants receive training and mentoring while serving on committees charged with understanding the needs, interests, concerns, and challenges of early career scientist members of the GSA. As part of…
-
GSA LOCI: Local Outreach Community Initiatives @ GSA Conferences
Highlights: Local Outreach Community Initiatives (LOCI): The Genetics Society of America is committed to supporting the communities of the host cities of our conferences. This new year, we are excited to reconnect with our GSA community in meaningful ways within and beyond our existing programming. The GSA membership has created a caring and supportive environment…
-
New members of the GSA Board of Directors: 2023–2025
We are pleased to announce the election of five new leaders to the GSA Board of Directors: 2023 Vice President/2024 President Mariana Wolfner Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow My research has focused on the genes and pathways that mediate sexual development and reproduction, primarily in Drosophila. From…
-
Lance David Miller: Lighting Your Own Fire by Finding the Right Resources
By Daniel J. Gironda In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the…
-
Graça Almeida-Porada: The Importance of Communication in a Technologically Advancing World
By Daniel J. Gironda In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the…