A major goal of our research is to detect evidence of Darwinian selection at the genome level and to estimate the frequency and intensity of selective events that have occurred in the recent history of a species. We will also identify and characterize the genes that were subject to positive selection in the recent past. To accomplish these goals, we gather information on genetic variation within and between natural populations, and on divergence between closely related species. Specifically, we are working on the following projects: (1) the genetics of adaptation in Drosophila as revealed by selective sweeps, (2) the divergence of wild tomato populations, and (3) the evolution of resistance genes in plants. The methods we are using include high-throughput DNA sequencing, microarray analysis, and theoretical and computational approaches of population genetics.
http://www.evol.bio.lmu.de/people/professor_emeritus/stephan_w/index.html