Seminar Series – Dr. Jessica Glass

Presenter Information

Speaker: Dr. Jessica Glass, Assistant Professor of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at University of Alaska Fairbanks

Short Description of Research: The Glass Lab uses genomic tools to address patterns and processes of evolution to better understand the diversity and history of life through a molecular lens. Dr. Glass has led a range of projects from fisheries socioeconomics to ancient DNA to the ecology of birds and benthic invertebrates, but her work to-date primarily focuses on marine invertebrates and teleost fishes. Her lab takes advantage of high throughput sequencing techniques to examine the connections between genotype and phenotype on multiple taxonomic and spatial scales. The primary questions addressed by The Glass Lab include: (1)What drivers have led to the diversification of species and populations? (2) How can ‘omic tools link species’ biodiversity, adaptation and human health? (3) How do genotype-phenotype interactions enable organisms to adapt to selective pressures?

Up and coming projects in the lab include examining the evolutionary underpinnings of ice binding proteins in intertidal invertebrates, evaluating transcriptomic responses of Pacific Oysters to environmental stressors (heat stress and harmful algal toxins), and developing new cost-effective, citizen-science friendly sampling technology for environmental DNA studies. Dr. Glass is also involved in initiatives to provide training to Indigenous students in data science and enabling tribal communities to maintain sovereignty over their data and natural resources.

Seminar Details

Host: Emily Vernon, BMOL Program

Title: Integrating Genomic Patterns and Ecological Processes to Understand Evolution in the Oceans

Abstract: The field of genomics has revolutionized evolutionary biology and our ability to detect linkages between genes, behavior and the environment. Using genome-wide sequencing techniques, my research program aims to resolve historically contentious relationships across the Tree of Life. Integrating genomic and environmental datasets, we address themes that span biodiversity, competition, environmental adaptation and population structure in the world’s oceans. We demonstrate how the combination of genomic, environmental and behavioral datasets provides a powerful approach to investigate biological responses of marine species to anthropogenic and natural environmental stressors.

Publication Related to Talk: Widespread sympatry in a species-rich clade of marine fishes (Carangoidei)