Edward L. Braun

personal site

Assistant Professor
Ph.D. University of New Mexico 1996

514 CRR
P.O. Box 118525
Gainesville, FL
32611-8525
Voice: (352) 846-1124 Fax: (352) 392-3704
ebraun68@ufl.edu

Research Interests

I am broadly interested in the process of genome evolution and have projects exploring genomic evolution at various points in the history of organisms. Since the analysis of genome evolution requires a variety phylogenomic approaches, I am also interested in the theory and practice of phylogenetic and bioinformatic studies. My interest in the theory used in nucleic acid and protein sequence comparisons reflects a broader interest in the use of mathematical and computational methods in biology.

Students Currently Supervised

Jena Chojnowski (PhD)
Jena’s primary interest is developmental biology and embryology. Jena has also been working on the evolution of isochore structure and locus development. For her thesis project, Jena is using genomic approaches to examine development in the Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta).

Jordan Smith (MS)
Jordan's interests are avian population genetics and evolution and she has been working on deep avian phylogenetics, contributing to the Early Bird project and moving in some novel directions both in the lab and analytically.

Representative Publications

Braun, EL & N Phillips. (2008) Phylogenomics and secondary plastids: A look back and a look ahead. Journal of Phycology, 44:2-6.
 
Chojnowski, JL & EL Braun. (2008) Turtle isochore structure is intermediate between amphibians and other amniotes. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 48: 454-462.

Chojnowski, JL, J Franklin, Y Katsu, T Iguchi, LJ Guillette Jr, RT Kimball & EL Braun. (2007) Patterns of vertebrate isochore evolution revealed by comparison of expressed mammalian, avian, and crocodilian genes. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 65: 259-266.

Georgelis, N, EL Braun, JR Shaw & LC Hannah. (2007) The two AGPase subunits evolve at different rates in angiosperms, yet they are equally sensitive to activity-altering amino acid changes when expressed in bacteria. Plant Cell, 19: 1458-1472.

Hackett, SJ, RT Kimball, S Reddy, RCK Bowie, EL Braun, MJ Braun, JL Chojnowski, WA Cox, K-L Han, J Harshman, CJ Huddleston, BD Marks, KJ Miglia, WS Moore, FH Sheldon, DW Steadman, CC Witt & T Yuri. (2008) A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their evolutionary history. Science, 320:1763-1768.

Harshman, J, EL Braun, MJ Braun, CJ Huddleston, S Reddy, RCK Bowie, JL Chojnowski, K-L Han, SJ Hackett, RT Kimball, BD Marks, KJ Miglia, WS Moore, FH Sheldon, DW Steadman, SJ Steppan, CC Witt & T Yuri. (2008) Phylogenomic evidence for multiple losses of flight in ratite birds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 105:13462-13467.