I am currently interested in group selection theory. My work concentrates on the development and validation of models in scenarios where animals are raised together. The theoretical foundations of these models were laid out by B. Griffing in the 1960s. The most important assumption is that the phenotype of a given trait is more generally described by: Pi = Gi + ΣGj + E + ΣEj, where ΣGj and ΣEj are the total genotypic and environmental effects that affect a phenotypic observation in a given individual. Classical breeding values can now be split into "direct" breeding values - those that relate to affecting individual performance - and "associative" breeding values - those that describe the ability to cooperate with other animals in the same environment.

Another area of research that my team is currently pursuing is the alteration of composition of animal excreta through genetics. Currently we are conducting research with broilers. The goal is to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus (organic, phytate) in the excreta by selecting birds that are more efficient utilizators of these nutrients. The resulting birds will be more environmentally friendly because industry will have a "cleaner" manure to be processed.

The effect of genetic bottlenecks on genetic variation loss is also of interest to this laboratory. Applications are especially targeted to exotic species kept in captivity (e.g., in zoos), with an outlook at reintroduction of captive specimens to the wild.

Tribolium castaneum Herbst.

Besides having ties with industry we keep a quantitative genetics laboratory using Tribolium castaneum Herbst. (the red flour beetle) as a model organism. The quantitative genetics laboratory complex comprises a walk-in incubator, a processing room and a molecular genetics room, with capabilities for DNA extraction, PCR analyses, and immunofluorescence assays. We are considering adding another model organism, Manduca sexta L.(the tobacco hornworm, or the Carolina sphinx moth), to our collection in the near future.