Prof. Edward J. Louis FRSB

Professor of Genome Dynamics

Research Focus

Natural genetic and phenotypic variation in Saccharomyces yeasts.

Scientific Activities

Ed Louis is Professor of Genetics and Director of the Centre for Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits at the University of Leicester. He is a Fellow of the Society of Biology and serves of the Eukaryotic Division Committee of the Microbiology Society.  

He is currently working on quantitative genetics of complex traits in yeast using novel approaches including NGS of selected pools from multigenerational advanced intercross lines. This exploration of natural genetic and phenotypic variation can be exploited in numerous ways. Recently we have expanded into the genetic analysis of hybrids where we have solved the sterility problem by using tetraploid intermediates. He continues to also work on telomere and subtelomere biology (relevant to fungal pathogens as well as parasites), recombination and genome dynamics in general, and reproductive isolation. 

He was involved in the yeast genome project, solving the chromosome end problems, identification and characterisation of new species, and the first population genomics survey of whole genome sequences in Saccharomyces yeasts. He has published over 125 articles, chapters and books on yeast genetics/genomics and the use of yeast to study parasite and pathogen genomes.

Significant Publications

Gianni Liti, David M. Carter, Alan M. Moses, Jonas Warringer, Leopold Parts, Stephen A. James, Robert P. Davey, Ian N. Roberts, Austin Burt, Vassiliki Koufopanou, Isheng J. Tsai, Casey M. Bergman, Douda Bensasson, Michael J. T. O’kelly, Alexander Van Oudenaarden, David B. H. Barton, Elizabeth Bailes, Matthew Jones, Michael A. Quail, Ian Goodhead, Sarah Sims, Frances Smith, Anders Blomberg, Richard Durbin & Edward J. Louis, 2009. Population genomics of domestic and wild yeasts. Nature 458: 337-341.

Cubillos, Francisco A, Billi, Eleonora, Zörgö, Enikö, Parts, Leopold, Fargier, Patrick, Omholt, Stig, Blomberg, Anders, Warringer, Jonas, Louis, Edward J and Liti, Gianni, 2011. Assessing the complex architecture of polygenic traits in diverged yeast populations. Molecular Ecology 20: 1401–1413. 

Gianni Liti and Edward J Louis. 2012. Advances in Quantitative Trait Analysis in Yeast. PLoS Genetics 8(8): e1002912.

---

Collaborators