Biographical Information: The Hoffman lab studies the evolutionary genetics of mammals. Work in the lab centers on two different levels of genetic variability—the molecular evolution of complex gene families, and the relationship between genetic diversity and population viability, especially as it relates to mammal conservation. We study the origins of genetic diversity by analyzing the organization and evolution of gene families, or groups of genes that are both structurally and functionally related. One cluster of genes from the cytochrome P450 gene superfamily has been studied in different mammal species, including human, mouse, rat, cat and gorilla. Comparisons of the same gene cluster in diverse species allow us to recreate the molecular processes, including tandem duplication and gene conversion, that generate genetic diversity. The long-range goals of this research are to determine the importance of various molecular processes in shaping the genomes of mammals, and to better understand the function and regulation of some medically important genes. A major new project in the lab, on the effects of genetic diversity in endangered versus expanding populations, takes advantage of recent dramatic shifts in the populations of small mammals in the Great Lakes region. As an apparent response to climate change, several small mammals from the lower Midwest are expanding northwards at an astonishing rate, and replacing more northern congeneric species. We are currently focusing on the population genetics of the deer mouse in Michigan, which is being overrun by its southern relative, the white-footed mouse, and is rapidly going extinct in some areas. These mice may serve as a model for other mammal species, to help us to better understand the role of genetic diversity in maintaining the viability of endangered populations. Students in the lab use a variety of modern biological techniques, including Southern blots, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, microsatellite analysis and bioinformatics to study mammal genetics, and also do some fieldwork for the mouse project. Funding is available to support additional graduate students working on both projects. For materials related to Dr. Hoffman's teaching, and for more information on the mouse project, go to her home page.