Nolan Kane
Assistant Professor
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Nolan.Kane@Colorado.EDU
303-492-3726

Ramaley N395 (lab)

Research Interests

My research is at the interface of quantitative genetics, population genomics and bioinformatics. I use these tools to address key ecological and evolutionary questions from multiple perspectives with a particular interest in domestication, adaptation, conservation, and speciation. Much of my work focuses on identifying the genetic changes that underlie the formation of new species or varieties, and more generally, the genetic basis of novel phenotypes. Currently, I am using sunflowers (Helianthus), mustard (Brassica) and chocolate (Theobroma) as model systems to pursue these research questions. In all three genera, I am examining how hybridization has shaped evolution, including the origin of new hybrid species, the breeding of modern lineages of domesticated plants, and the spread of invasive species.

Kane NC, Marek L, Burke JM, Seiler G, Rieseberg LH. 2013. Sunflower genetic, genomic and ecological resources.听Molecular Ecology Resources13:10-20. (Cover illustration)

Renaut S, Grassa CJ, Yeaman S, Moyers BT, Lai Z, Kane NC, Bowers JE, Burke JM, Rieseberg LH. 2013. Number and size of genomic islands of differentiation do not vary with geography of speciation. Nature Communications听4:1827.

Sveinsson S, Gill N, Kane NC, Cronk Q. 2013. Transposon fingerprinting using low coverage whole genome shotgun sequencing in Cacao (Theobroma cacaoL.) and related species.听BMC Genomics14:502.

Andrew RL, Bernatchez L, Bonin A, Carstens BC, Emerson BC, Garant D, Giraud T, Kane, NC,听et al.2013. A roadmap for molecular ecology.听Molecular Ecology22:2605-2626.

Andrew RL, Kane NC, Baute GJ, Grassa CJ, Rieseberg LH. 2013. Recent non-hybrid origin of sunflower ecotypes in a novel habitat.听Molecular Ecology. 22:799-813.

Kane NC, Sveinsoon S, Dempewolf H, Yang JY, Zhang D, Engels JMM, Cronk, Q. 2012. Ultra-barcoding in cacao using whole chloroplast genomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA.听American Journal of Botany听99:320-329.

Blackman BK, Scascitelli M, Kane NC, Luton H, Bye RA, Lentz DL, Rieseberg LH. 2011. Sunflower domestication alleles support single domestication center in eastern North America.听Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences听34:14360-14365.

Kane NC, Zhan S, Barker MS, Rieseberg LH. 2011. Molecular evolution across the Asteraceae: micro- and macroevolutionary processes.听Molecular Biology and Evolution听28:32253235.

Mayrose M, Kane NC, Mayrose I, Rieseberg LH. 2011. Increased vigour in sunflower correlates with reduced defenses and altered gene expression during biotic and abiotic stress responses.听Molecular Ecology20:4683-4694.

Kane NC, Gill N, King MG, Bowers JE, Berges H, Gouzy J, Bachlava E, Langlade NB, Lai Z, Stewart M, Burke JM, Vincourt P, Knapp SJ, Rieseberg LH. 2011. Progress towards a reference genome for sunflower.Botany89:429-437.

Strasburg JL, Kane NC, Radusk AR, Bonin A., Kozik A, Michelmore R, Rieseberg LH. 2011. Effective population size is strongly correlated with rates of adaptive divergence among annual sunflowers.听Molecular Biology and Evolution28:1569-1580. Faculty of 1000,听,听