Eric Hernández Hernández

Transposable Elements and Genome Evolution

Transposable elements (TEs) are a valuable tool that allows a better perspective on comparative genomics studies, recent genome dynamics and evolution of genomes. Given the ability of TEs to generate DNA rearrangements and serve as a source of new regulatory and coding sequences, TEs are considered powerful evolutionary agents within genome and their derivative sequences may have essential functions in the development and survival of the host organism.

Currently, my work is structural genome annotation and transcriptome analysis of Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei) with emphasis on transposable elements, and through comparative genomics with insect model species, determine their abundance, frequency, distribution and structural variability of these elements, derived genomic sequences and identifying active elements and their dynamics into the host genome.