Research Overview
I have two main areas of interest, human evolution, and ageing. On human evolution, I have been studying how gene expression differences might be shaping functional differences between humans and chimpanzees. We have specifically investigated regulatory differences between species that affect the timing of transcription during brain development, which lead to a dramatically extended period of neural development in human infants. I have also worked on how, and why, gene expression levels change during ageing. My current work is focused on signatures of genetic drift in the human genome, deleterious variation that influence gene expression, and the role of drift in shaping ageing patterns.
Selected Publications
MicroRNA, mRNA, and protein expression link development and aging in human and macaque brain.
Somel M*, Guo S*, Fu N*, Yan Z, Hu HY, Fu X, Yuan Y, Ning Z, Hu Y, Menzel C, Hu H, Lachmann M, Zeng R,
Chen W, Khaitovich P (2010) Genome Research 20: 1207-1218 (*eq. contr.).
Transcriptional Neoteny in the Human Brain.
Somel M, Franz H, Yan Z, Lorenc A, Guo S, Giger T, Kelso J, Nickel B, Dannemann M, Bahn S, Webster MJ,
Weickert CS, Lachmann M, Pääbo S, Khaitovich P (2009) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106(14):5743-8.
Human and chimpanzee gene expression differences replicated in mice fed different diets.
Somel M*, Creely H*, Franz H, Mueller U, Lachmann M, Khaitovich P, Pääbo S. (2008) PLoS
ONE 30;3(1):e1504. (*eq. contr.)
Gene expression becomes heterogeneous with age.
Somel M, Khaitovich P, Bahn S, Pääbo S, Lachmann M. (2006) Current Biology
16(10):R359-60.
Updated September 15, 2011