MELNIKOV LAB

The impact of parasitic lifestyles on the evolution of proteins and nucleic acids. Lifestyles define the way we evolve. In the microbial world, the transition from free-living to host-dependent lifestyles (symbiosis or parasitism) causes a dramatic reduction in genome size; in extreme cases, strictly host-dependent organisms may have genomes that are 30-times smaller than the average genome of a free-living species. By studying the protein synthesis machinery of organisms with drastically reduced genomes, we are able to uncover the fundamental principles of how the transition from a free-living lifestyle to parasitism or symbiosis affects the folding, structure, activity, stability, and evolution of proteins and nucleic acids in the cell... Combating drug resistance through experimental evolution. When agriculture underwent a major crisis in the form of pesticide resistance in the 1970s, scientists and the public developed the philosophy of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which..

Primary location: Newcastle Upon Tyne United Kingdom