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Evolutionary BiophysicsVerified Info
Desai Lab
Principal Investigator: Michael Desai
About the Lab
We use theory and experiments to study evolutionary dynamics and population genetics, particularly when selection is pervasive.
What Research Looks Like
There are projects that are purely benchwork, purely coding, purely theory, and all combinations of these as well.
Example Undergraduate Projects
- Sequencing genomes in evolving yeast lines and doing computational/bioinformatic analysis to call mutations and track evolutionary dynamics
- Calculating expected signatures of single-site variation (the site frequency spectrum) under various models of purifying selection
Prerequisites & Skills
No specific prerequisites are needed
Where Students Go After
Typically students go on to graduate school, either in physics or biology. This has ranged from students that studied plasma physics to others in genetics and computational biology.
Contact Information
At a Glance
Time Commitment
10-20 hours is ideal during the academic year (full time if in summer)
Undergrads per Semester
0-3
Typical Project Length
Anywhere from 1-4 years
Minimum Commitment
It's best to plan for at least 1 academic year, or alternatively 1 full summer.
Co-authorship Policy
Yes
Group Meetings
Weekly group meetings
Interested in joining?
Reach out to Michael Desai via email to express your interest in undergraduate research.