Computational Research
The bioinformatics team use computational approaches to study gene and genome duplication, de novo genes, animal phylogeny, and dosage sensitivity.
Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin
The bioinformatics team use computational approaches to study gene and genome duplication, de novo genes, animal phylogeny, and dosage sensitivity.
The C. elegans research team use synthetic tetraploid C. elegans to study the consequences of polyploidy.
Laetitia is a Research Ireland Pathway Fellow (previously SFI-IRC Pathway). In the lab, she is developing a project where genome duplication is artificially induced in the microscopic nematode organism Caenorhabditis elegans, to investigate the immediate consequences of genome doubling on physiology, stress responses and gene expression in animals.
Understanding how organisms adapt to challenging and stressful environments has always fascinated Laetitia. She studied biology (BSc and MSc) at the University Pierre and Marie Curie and Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. During Laetitia's Masters, she discovered the power of the model organism C. elegans. Research during Laetitia's PhD and first postdoc centred on exploring unknown aspects of the highly conserved heat stress response to uncover its profound importance, even in the absence of stress using C. elegans. During Laetitia's PhD in the Morimoto lab (Northwestern University, Chicago, USA), she investigated the role the highly conserved Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF-1), the master regulator of the heat stress response during C. elegans development. Work during Laetitia's postdoc in the Casanueva lab (Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK) revealed that C. elegans use the heat shock response in neurons as a thermostat to adjust fat metabolism and membrane fluidity across tissues according to temperature.
Outside of the lab, Laetitia enjoys playing the bass recorder and low whistle in a Folk music ensemble.
Peter is a postdoc interested in comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and insect evolution. His research uses computational analyses to understand the role of gene and genome evolution underpinning adaptation, with a particular focus on Lepidoptera (moths & butterflies). He is currently analysing the mode and tempo of new gene genesis across insects to understand the contribution of gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and de novo gene genesis in insect evolution. He carried out his PhD at the University of Leeds with Prof Mary O'Connell, followed by a postdoc with Prof Peter Holland at Oxford. Outside of the lab Peter enjoys hiking, museums, and searching for/photographing insects.
Li is a final-year PhD student who works on tissue-specific expression evolution following whole genome duplication, specifically focusing on the teleost and salmonid WGD events. He joined the McLysaght lab as part of the INTEGRATE Genomic PhD Program through the Marie Curie (MSCA) COFUND scholarship. During his PhD, he also completed a research placement in Ewan Birney's group at EMBL-EBI, where he evaluated basecalling algorithms in medaka genome methylation. Prior to this, he was awarded the Erasmus Mundus scholarship for his MSc degree at Ghent University and the Algarve Centre of Marine Sciences, where he studied the phylogeny of a group of deep-sea algae.
Outside of science, Li is fascinated by graphic and spatial design, including painting and furniture woodworking. He also donates his time and hair to charity, and teaching Chinese language to children.
Elle is a PhD candidate focusing on large-scale copy number alterations and dosage sensitivity in cancer genome evolution. She first joined the McLysaght lab in 2018 with summer projects on dosage compensation and the evolution of segmental duplications. She also did research placements on Neanderthal adaptive introgression at Brown University and on gene dosage-responsiveness in the SysBio lab at Institut Curie in Paris, and worked at the LIRMM in the Université de Montpellier. During her BA in Genetics at Trinity, she was awarded the Foundation Scholarship, Laidlaw Scholarship, Naughton Scholarship, James Watson Award and Fisher Prize, and graduated with a gold medal.
Elle is passionate about data visualisation and may be Dublin’s strongest defender of R/tidyverse. Outside the lab, she spends a lot of time hitting people with metal sticks as a member of Dublin University Fencing Club’s sabre squad. She also likes to write, make music, and speak semi-passable French.
Lukasz is a PhD student interested in all things whole genome duplication. His current research focuses on unravelling the mysteries of delayed rediploidisation at the base of the vertebrate lineage. He currently maintains ohnologs.com, as well as other open-source projects (some of which are lab-related). Before joining the McLysaght group, he completed his undergraduate degree in genetics at Trinity College Dublin. Outside of work, Lukasz has an ever-growing list of interests, such as gardening, piano, and beer-making (the latest addition).
Clément is a molecular biology researcher with a special interest in genome duplication and resilience in C. elegans. With a strong curiosity about the diversity of life, he aims to work with as many model organisms as possible to draw connections across species. He holds an MSc in Medical Biotechnologies from Napier University in Edinburgh, where he graduated as a class medal winner.
Outside the lab, Clément has a wide range of hobbies. He’s passionate about photography, especially capturing the energy of live performances. He also has a growing plant collection and enjoys experimenting with different ways to care for and display his plants. When he's not behind the camera or tending to his green space, Clément plays basketball on a unicycle—an activity that combines his love for sports and a bit of a challenge. He’s also a food enthusiast, always experimenting with new flavors and cooking techniques.
Emma is an evolutionary biologist by training with a special interest in the biology of microscopic animals (who doesn’t love a rotifer?!). She is currently a PhD student in the McLysaght lab, having started a Research Ireland Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship in September 2024, one year after first joining the group as a research assistant. Emma's PhD research focuses on using synthetic tetraploid C. elegans as a model system to understand the epigenetic implications of whole genome duplication, particularly in relation to the ‘memory’ stress response.
Prior to joining the McLysaght lab, Emma completed a BSc degree in Biology, including a research project on invertebrate comparative immunology, and an MSc in Evolutionary Biology at Università degli Studi di Padova, for which she visited University of Turku for her research project on the production of biohydrogen using cyanobacteria. After Emma's studies, she took up a research fellowship at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn for one and a half years where she studied the physiological and molecular responses of microalgae to environmental stressors, such as high salinity.
When Emma is not counting endless worms, she likes to collect soil, moss, stagnant water, and rotten fruit to search for and video (her phone camera roll is full!) tiny animals and unicellular eukaryotes under the microscope.
Róisín is a PhD student in the computational lab. Her research focuses on rediploidisation following whole genome duplication across a diverse array of animal life. She completed her undergraduate degree in Human Genetics at Trinity College Dublin, graduating with a gold medal. Along with genetics, Róisín loves art. She enjoys painting in acrylics and visiting galleries. She is also a big foodie, which appears to be a common theme amongst lab members.
Matthieu is an intern from UCA France, working with the C. elegans research team.
Axel is an intern from UCA France, working with the C. elegans research team (and also pouring plates).
11 April 2025
9 April 2025
7 April 2025
25 March 2025
I am always interested in hearing from prospective PhD students and postdocs. Please reach out to me at aoife.mclysaght@tcd.ie.
It is possible to apply for Postdoc and PhD fellowships from the Irish Government, with annual deadlines (see www.research.ie/funding, www.researchireland.ie/funding).
If you are interested in joining the team, please email aoife.mclysaght@tcd.ie with a cover letter stating your research interests, a full Curriculum Vitae, and the names and contact details of two academic referees.