Research Projects

On an ever changing planet, how have some species survived mass extinctions and are asymmetrically diverse as compared to their close relatives? This project seeks to uncover the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms driving the remarkable biodiversity of spiders, a group within the chelicerate arthropods. Spiders, an ancient lineage and estimated 100,000 species, exhibit much higher species richness compared to close relatives like amblypygids, which remain species-poor despite sharing similar ancient origins. The proposal explores how whole genome duplications (WGD), combined with silk production and venom, may have contributed to spiders’ evolutionary success. These duplications often correspond with large-scale genome rearrangements, leading to new functionalities. Through these processes, spiders may have developed key innovations—traits that open new adaptive pathways—potentially underpinning their extensive diversification. Current Understanding and Research Gaps. WGD events have been linked to diversification in many lineages, including vertebrates and land plants. However, in invertebrates, little research has focused on how WGDs contribute to evolutionary success. Spiders present an ideal model for this investigation due to their WGD history, diverse phenotypes, and ecological success. Challenges persist in understanding evolutionary relationships within chelicerates and the limited genomic resources available for certain arachnid lineages, which has hindered research on comparative macroevolutionary dynamics. Research Plan and Methodology. I will leverage spiders’ unique traits, such as silk glands and respiratory adaptations, to examine WGD’s role in diversification. It will generate high-quality genomic resources for various chelicerate groups, including spiders, amblypygids, and uropygids. Functional exploration will focus on silk and venom genes, assessing their selection pressures and roles in spider diversification. By studying silk gland-specific transcriptomes and developmental genetics, the project will investigate if spinneret and tracheal system adaptations arose from WGD-driven innovations. Comparative genomic approaches will reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and trace the evolutionary history of these adaptations, contributing to a deeper understanding of spider lineage success. Broader Impacts and Capacity Building. The proposed study will enhance the foundational knowledge of arachnid genomics and evolutionary biology, with implications for biodiversity conservation, particularly under climate change. Establishing a repository of genetic resources for chelicerates from the Indian subcontinent will aid global biodiversity research. Additionally, the project aims to create a center of excellence for invertebrate evolutionary research at IISERTVM, fostering local and international collaborations and training future researchers in genomics and evolutionary biology.