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Discovering Evolution’s Master Switches

Scott V. Edwards is a scientist studying biodiversity and evolution, primarily using birds as models to explore speciation, biogeography, genome evolution, and adaptation. His lab's research spans topics like immune gene evolution and reconstructing the tree of life, using Harvard's Cannon cluster at the MGHPCC for genetic analysis

A recent paper by Edwards and colleagues reports reconstructing the complete DNA sequence of the little bush moa, a flightless bird, now extinct, that once lived in New Zealand. By analyzing preserved genetic material from moa remains to build a detailed map of the bird's DNA - genome assembly - the researchers were able to learn more about the bird’s genetic makeup, including insights into its evolutionary history, why it lost the ability to fly, and how it might have differed from other birds.

Such research helps scientists understand more about extinct species and their relationships with living birds. It also provides valuable information for studying how these birds adapted to their environment.

Scott Edwards
Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard

Research projects

A Future of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Yale Budget Lab
Volcanic Eruptions Impact on Stratospheric Chemistry & Ozone
Towards a Whole Brain Cellular Atlas
Tornado Path Detection
The Kempner Institute - Unlocking Intelligence
The Institute for Experiential AI
Taming the Energy Appetite of AI Models
Surface Behavior
Studying Highly Efficient Biological Solar Energy Systems
Software for Unreliable Quantum Computers
Simulating Large Biomolecular Assemblies
SEQer - Sequence Evaluation in Realtime
Revolutionizing Materials Design with Computational Modeling
Remote Sensing of Earth Systems
Quantum Computing in Renewable Energy Development
Pulling Back the Quantum Curtain on ‘Weyl Fermions’
New Insights on Binary Black Holes
NeuraChip
Network Attached FPGAs in the OCT
Monte Carlo eXtreme (MCX) - a Physically-Accurate Photon Simulator
Modeling Hydrogels and Elastomers
Modeling Breast Cancer Spread
Impact of Marine Heatwaves on Coral Diversity
IceCube: Hunting Neutrinos
Genome Forecasting
Global Consequences of Warming-Induced Arctic River Changes
Exact Gravitational Lensing by Rotating Black Holes
Evolution of Viral Infectious Disease
Evaluating Health Benefits of Stricter US Air Quality Standards
Ephemeral Stream Water Contributions to US Drainage Networks
Energy Transport and Ultrafast Spectroscopy Lab
Electron Heating in Kinetic-Alfvén-Wave Turbulence
Discovering Evolution’s Master Switches
Dexterous Robotic Hands
Developing Advanced Materials for a Sustainable Energy Future
Detecting Protein Concentrations in Assays
Denser Environments Cultivate Larger Galaxies
Deciphering Alzheimer's Disease
Dancing Frog Genomes
Cyber-Physical Communication Network Security
Asteroid Data Mining
Analyzing the Gut Microbiome
Adaptive Deep Learning Systems Towards Edge Intelligence
Accelerating Rendering Power
ACAS X: A Family of Next-Generation Collision Avoidance Systems
Neurocognition at the Wu Tsai Institute, Yale
Computational Modeling of Biological Systems
Computational Molecular Ecology
Social Capital and Economic Mobility
Building for Floods
Better Pathogen Targeting
Tracking Environmental Health Risks
AI for Cancer Diagnosis
Microplastic-Free by Design
Supporting Data-intensive Social Science
Sailing the Symbiosis Seascape
Wrangle Range Modeling
Shining a Light on Dark Matter
Grid Responsive Data Centers
Multifunctional 3D-Printed Materials
AI Pareidolia
Computing Hidden Health Threats from Heat
Staving off the Banana Apocalypse
CRISPR Mice, Smarter Science
AI That Speaks Human About Health
A Safer Way to See Inside Cells
How Monkeys - and Machines - See in 3D
FlowER: AI for Predicting Chemical Reactions
Bone Ratios and Big Data
Supercomputers Reveal Ancient Atmospheric Battle
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Collaborative projects

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Outreach & Education Projects

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