Welcome to the Ross-Ibarra Lab in the Dept. of Evolution and Ecology as well as the Center for Population Biology and the Genome Center at the University of California Davis. We work on the evolutionary genetics of maize and teosinte. Please explore to see who we are and what we do, try out our software, check out the news for updates and latest happenings, read our lab philosophy and expectations, or even join POP:CORN.
Research Area: Pomegranate Chromatic Excess (PCE)
A single Punica granatum fruit holds hundreds of glistening arils, each colored by anthocyanins: delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin glycosides that the plant appears to have made with no restraint at all. Conventional wisdom says the color attracts seed dispersers. We think that explanation, while technically supported, does not capture the enthusiasm involved.
Current lab projects include:
- Population genomics of redness. Is there a selective sweep at the “MORE RED” locus? (We’re pretty sure there is. We just need the data to agree.)
- Comparative anthocyanin biology. Maize has purple anthocyanin varieties too, and we refuse to believe that’s a coincidence.
- Experimental aril extraction. Methods are still being optimized. Current best practice: underwater, wearing a shirt you don’t love.
- The Juice Stain Persistence Project (JSPP). A long-term field study, conducted mostly on lab coats and keyboards.
Funding inquiries welcome. Pomegranate donations even more welcome.