How species adapt over time using yeast to understand human disease
Official title: Experimental evolution of complex traits
Funded at Oregon State University · NIH-11332928 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers study how organisms adapt through evolution using baker’s yeast to learn about complex human diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Corvallis, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,125 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM147402-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11332928 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
No specific patient group is recruited in this basic science project; the work informs understanding of human disease through yeast models.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation or immediate therapies are not part of this basic science grant.
What this research studies
This project uses a lab yeast system to watch evolution in action and map how genetic changes shape traits over time. By sequencing genomes during adaptation, researchers explore how preexisting variation contributes to disease-relevant traits in humans. The study aims to uncover how adaptation and genetic diversity influence health and disease risk. Findings could reveal new angles for tackling complex diseases that emerged from our evolutionary past.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of why some traits related to complex diseases persist may lead to new strategies for prevention or treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous evolution-and-sequencing studies in yeast have clarified how existing genetic variation drives adaptation, with strong implications for human biology.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon State University
Corvallis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burke, Molly Kathleen — Oregon State University
- Study coordinator: Burke, Molly Kathleen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Developing capacity to study geophagy in pregnant moms and its effects on children’s brain development
This grant helps researchers in the United States and Africa build the skills and capacity to study how pregnant mothers eating earth may affect their babies’ brain development.
-
Planning to study geophagy in pregnant mothers and its effects on child development
This project plans to collaborate with partners in Zambia to explore if eating earth during pregnancy affects a child’s brain development.
-
Expanding AMR Surveillance in Animals with Hybrid Long-Read Sequencing
A veterinary lab in Oregon will use a mix of long- and short-read DNA sequencing to map antimicrobial resistance genes in bacterial samples from various animal sources to improve tracking of resistance.
-
Donor milk that keeps its good stuff: safer with high-pressure and UV-C; better digestion and growth for preterm babies
Aims to see if donor human milk treated with high pressure and UV-C keeps bioactive proteins better than standard pasteurization, and whether that helps preterm babies digest nutrients and grow.
-
Planning to study geophagy in pregnant mothers and how it could affect children’s brain development
This grant plans to build capacity to study how pregnant mothers eating earth in sub-Saharan Africa may influence their children’s neurodevelopment.
-
Vet-LIRN collaboration for animal health surveillance and rapid response
A national program partner in Oregon State University helps veterinarians and researchers quickly test and share information during animal health emergencies to protect people and animals.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.