Research
We study how genomes and biological systems evolve, how genomic variation shapes regulation and traits, and how genomics can inform conservation and breeding.
1. Tracing the evolution of genome structure
We investigate how structural variation, chromosomal rearrangements, and whole-genome duplication arise and shape genome evolution. Atlantic salmon provides a central system for studying the long-term consequences of duplicated genomic regions.
Selected publications
- Ancient persistence and recurrent emergence of structural variants across divergent Atlantic salmon lineages
Diblasi et al. · bioRxiv · 2026 - Beyond inversions and deletions: the evolutionary and functional insights from translocations, fissions, and fusions in animal genomes
Diblasi & Saitou · Heredity · 2025 - Parallel Selection in Domesticated Atlantic Salmon from Divergent Founders Including on Whole-Genome Duplication-derived Homeologous Regions
Buso et al. · Genome Biology and Evolution · 2025
2. Linking genomic variation to gene regulation and traits
We study how genomic variants alter gene expression, regulatory networks, and phenotypes. This includes regulatory divergence and dosage compensation after whole-genome duplication, as well as genomic responses to domestication and disease.
Selected publications
- Imputed graph-genotyped structural variants identify regulatory haplotypes associated with gene expression in Atlantic salmon
Chapis et al. · bioRxiv · 2026 - Large-scale eQTL analyses in Atlantic salmon reveal persistent dosage compensation 100 million years after genome duplication
Diblasi et al. · bioRxiv · 2025
3. Understanding the evolution of biological systems at the molecular level
We use comparative genomics and transcriptomics to examine how molecular systems originate and diversify. Current work includes the evolution of vertebrate secretory systems and the trajectory of lactation-related cellular programmes.
Selected publications
- Comparative Transcriptomics Suggests that Breast Secretory Epithelium Reuses Gene Repertoires Conserved Across Vertebrates Beyond Mammals
Saitou · Genome Biology and Evolution · 2026 - Functional and regulatory diversification of Period genes responsible for circadian rhythm in vertebrates
Kwak et al. · G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics · 2024 - Gene gain and loss drive the diversification of gig immune genes in teleosts: structural and regulatory insights from Atlantic salmon
Manousi et al. · Fish & Shellfish Immunology · 2026
4. Applying genomics to conservation and breeding
We combine population genomics and evolutionary modelling to understand the condition and vulnerability of wild and managed populations. Applications include hybrid detection in European lobster, threatened aquatic and coastal populations, Atlantic salmon breeding, and the spatial design of marine no-take zones.
Selected publications
- Resampling-based evaluation of a 79-SNP panel for hybrid classification across generations: a case study in European lobster (Homarus gammarus)
Røed et al. · G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics · 2026 - Dissecting the genetic basis of response to salmonid alphavirus in Atlantic salmon
Manousi et al. · BMC Genomics · 2025 - Metatranscriptomic Insights into Microbial Dynamics Prior to Disease Onset in Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture
Saitou et al. · bioRxiv · 2025