Welcome to the Messer lab in the Department of Computational Biology at Cornell University. We are interested in a broad range of topics in evolutionary biology and population genetics. A particular focus of the lab lies in studying cases of rapid adaptation that allow us to observe evolution in real-time and sometimes even repeatedly. Examples of such rapid adaptations include the evolution of resistance to pesticides and drugs, and the rapid adaptive responses observed in laboratory evolution experiments. Research projects in the lab employ a wide spectrum of computational and analytical approaches in concert with the analysis of large-scale population genomic data. We also perform experiments in fruit flies to study the population dynamics of CRISPR gene drives, which promise a mechanism for rapidly spreading alleles in a population. The potential applications of this new technology range from the control of vector-borne disease to the preservation of endangered species.

Contact:

Philipp W. Messer
Associate Professor
Department of Computational Biology
Cornell University
102J Weill Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853

phone: 607-255-3984
fax: 607-255-2323
email: messer@cornell.edu