Exploring evolution at the cellular level

Evolution is a fundamental process with profound impact on our daily lives – from the rise in antibiotic resistance to responses to global environmental change. Evolutionary change starts at the cellular level.

The Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution focuses on the specific mechanisms that govern evolutionary change, starting with the building blocks of cells. Our goal is to decipher the general rules by which evolution proceeds in different lineages of organisms using experimental laboratory results and a mathematical framework. In essence, we are aiming to establish an entirely new field called evolutionary cell biology.

Michael Lynch, PhD

Director, Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution

Michael Lynch researches mechanisms of evolution at the gene, genomic, cellular and phenotypic levels giving special attention to the role of mutation, random genetic drift and recombination. He is a major force in promoting neutral theories to explain variation in genomic and gene-structural architecture based on the effects of population sizes in different lineages. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.