Lab News
Aug 05, 2025
Our paper on variation in repetitive sequences is out in Genome Research
Studying the structure and variation of repetitive DNA sequences remains an unsolved problem. In a collaborative paper between our lab and the Emerson lab at UC Irvine, we assembled highly repetitive pericentromeric regions of Drosophila melanogaster using highly accurate (HiFi) long reads. We provided a new framework to study genetic variation in such repetitive regions. Our study offers new insights into the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms underlying the patterns of genetic variation in two such clusters: the Histone and Stellate gene clusters.
Jul 25, 2025
Mahul is selected as a finalist for the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
Mahul has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Director’s New Innovator Awards (DP2) from the National Institutes of Health! This distinction recognizes outstanding early-career scientists who are launching innovative research endeavors.
Jul 02, 2025
Lab’s first paper is published!
The lab's first paper, led by Ph.D. student Alex Samano, has now been published in Molecular Biology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf140
Mar 25, 2025
Alex & Trevor present talk at the the annual Drosophila conference
Alex and Trevor, the lab's two graduate students, present their research at the 66th Drosophila conference organized by the Genetics Society of America in San Diego, CA.
Jul 16, 2024
Trevor receives a NIH-funded fellowship!
Apr 10, 2024
Ali is selected as a TAMU Undergraduate Research Ambassador
Apr 04, 2024
Alex receives honorable mention by NSF GRFP
Aug 28, 2023
Mahul’s paper is featured in New York Times
NY Times published an article on Mahul's recent paper on the origin of sexually dimorphic UV color vision in Heliconius charithonia females.
Jun 21, 2023
The lab runs its first nanopore duplex sequencing!
Apr 17, 2023
Esha Maknojia joins the lab as lab’s first undergraduate student
Dec 13, 2022
Alex Samano joins the lab as the first Ph.D. student
Dec 06, 2022
The lab welcomes the first cohort of rotation students
Nov 27, 2022
Chakraborty Lab welcomes Dr. Yi Liao as the bioinformatics scientist of the lab
