Darren Obbard
Research Interests
I am interested in the molecular basis of adaptive evolution. By applying population-genetic approaches to host-parasite systems, I hope to understand how the selective pressure exerted by host-parasite interaction translates into adaptive change in the genome.
Most of my current work focuses on Drosophila and their viral pathogens, but I also have side interests in other pathogens and parasites of wild drosophila, and host-parasite coevolution in other insect systems, such as Anopheles mosquitoes, and nearly-insects, such as Daphnia.
CV
| When | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-Present | University of Edinburgh | Professor of Evolutionary Genetics |
| 2018-2022 | University of Edinburgh | Lecturer, then Reader in Evolutionary Genetics |
| 2013-2018 | University of Edinburgh | Chancellor's Research Fellow, salary funded by the University of Edinburgh |
| 2008-2013 | University of Edinburgh | Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow "The demography, population genetics and genome evolution of viral pathogens in an innate immunity model" |
| 2004-2008 | University of Edinburgh | Wellcome Trust Grant to Tom Little "Pathogen-mediated selection on the immunity genes of disease carrying mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles" |
| 2000-2004 | University of Oxford | D.Phil. "Genetic variation and sexual system evolution in the annual mercuries" supervised by Dr. John Pannell and Dr. Stephen Harris in the department of Plant Sciences |
| 1997-2000 | University of Cambridge | B.A. (Hons) Natural Sciences (Part II Plant Sciences) |
Representative Publications
Obbard DJ, Shi M, Roberts KE, Longdon B, Dennis AB (2020) A new lineage of segmented RNA viruses infecting animals Virus Evolution 6(1):vez061 [bioRxiv from 21st August 2019]
Palmer WH, Medd NC, Beard PM, Obbard DJ (2018) Isolation of a natural DNA virus of Drosophila melanogaster, and characterisation of host resistance and immune responses PLOS Pathogens 14(6):e1007050. [bioRxiv from 7th November 2017] [Featured in TWiV 522]
Waldron FM, Stone GS, Obbard DJ, (2018). Metagenomic sequencing suggests a diversity of RNA interference-like responses to viruses across multicellular eukaryotes PLoS Genet 14(7): e1007533
Webster CL, Waldron FM, Robertson S, Crowson D, Ferrari G, Quintana JF, Brouqui J-M, Bayne EH, Longdon B, Buck AH, Lazzaro BP, Akorli J, Haddrill PR, Obbard DJ, (2015) The discovery, distribution, and evolution of viruses associated with Drosophila melanogaster PLoS Biology 13(7): e1002210.
Obbard DJ, Maclennan J, Kim K-W, Rambaut A, O'Grady PM, Jiggins FM, (2012) Estimating divergence dates and substitution rates in the Drosophila phylogeny. Molecular Biology and Evolution 29 (11): 3459-3473
Longdon B, Hadfield JD, Webster CL, Obbard* DJ, Jiggins* FM (2011) Host phylogeny determines viral persistence and replication in novel hosts PLoS Pathogens 7(9):e1002260
Obbard DJ, Welch JJ, Kim K-W, Jiggins FM (2009) Quantifying Adaptive Evolution in the Drosophila Immune System. PLoS Genet 5(10): e1000698.
Obbard DJ, Gordon KHJ, Buck AH, Jiggins FM (2009) The evolution of RNAi as a defence against viruses and transposable elements. [Review] Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Series B 364 99-115.
Obbard DJ, Jiggins FM, Halligan DL, Little TJ (2006). Natural selection drives extremely rapid evolution in antiviral RNAi genes. Current Biology 16: 580-585.