Nathaniel Sharp
Position title: Assistant Professor
Email: nathaniel.sharp@wisc.edu
Phone: 608-263-8003
Address:
Genetics
Mutation, Evolution, Genome Architecture, Genetic Variation, Sexual Selection
- Address
- 425G Henry Mall, 4124 Genetics and Biotechnology Center
- Department
- Genetics
- Research Interests
- Mutation, Evolution, Genome Architecture, Genetic Variation, Sexual Selection
- Research Fields
- Evolutionary Genetics, Population Genetics, Genomics
- Lab Website
- https://sharp.genetics.wisc.edu/
Mutation is the source of all genetic variation, and is critical for evolution. Despite its importance, we still have a lot to learn about mutation. Why does the rate of mutation vary among species, genotypes, and genome architectures? What makes some sites in a genome more susceptible to mutation than others? How do the rate and fitness consequences of mutations vary across environments? What drives the evolution of the mutation process itself? Our work incorporates not just single-nucleotide changes, but also the wide spectrum of structural variants that can dramatically alter genetic structure, promote adaptation, or lead to disease. Using experiments with yeast and fruit flies, combined with genome sequencing and bioinformatics, my lab examines these and other aspects of mutation to broaden our understanding of this fundamental genetic process.
Representative Publications:
Search PubMed for more publications by Nathaniel Sharp
Bao K, Strayer BR, Braker NP, Chan AA, Sharp NP. (2024) Mutations in yeast are deleterious regardless of the degree of adaptation to the testing environment. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 291:20240064.
Sharp NP, Smith DR, Driscoll G, Sun K, Vickerman CM, Martin SCT. (2023) Contribution of spontaneous mutations to quantitative and molecular variation at the highly repetitive rDNA locus in yeast. Genome Biology and Evolution 15:evad179.
Sharp NP, Sandell L, James CG, Otto SP. (2018) The genome-wide rate and spectrum of spontaneous mutations differ between haploid and diploid yeast. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 115: E5046-5055.
Sharp NP, Agrawal AF. (2018) An experimental test of the mutation-selection balance model for the maintenance of genetic variance in fitness components. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285: 20181864.
Sharp NP, Otto SP (2016) Evolution of sex: Using experimental genomics to select among competing theories. BioEssays 38: 751-757. Sharp NP, Agrawal AF (2016) Low genetic quality affects key dimensions of the mutational spectrum. PLoS Biology 14: e1002419.
Sharp NP, Agrawal AF (2013) Male-biased fitness effects of spontaneous mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 67: 1189-1195.
Sharp NP, Agrawal AF (2012) Evidence for elevated mutation rates in low-quality genotypes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 109:6142-6146.