Heather Eisler

e-mail: heisler@nd.edu

B.A. Biology and Chemistry, Licensure in Elementary Education, June 1999, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO
M.S. Molecular Biology, December 2002, Utah State University, Logan, UT

M.S. Thesis Title:
Yeast PH domains: A study in phosphoinositide binding

Research Interests:

There are many competing concepts for what defines a good species.  One widely used concept is the Biological Species Concept which defines species based on reproductive isolation.  Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans are two spcies well defined by this concept.  Even though they are morphologically very similar, crosses between them produce only sterile and/or inviable hybrids. These two species have been studied since the early nineteen hundreds, yet little is  known about the genes underlying female hybrid sterility.  Recently strains of D. melanogaster and D. simulans have been found that are capable of rescuing female infertility.  I am interested in understanding the genetics behind this rescue.  Particularly I am interested in understanding what gene expression changes occur between fertile and nonfertile hybrids as well the gene expression changes between D. melanogaster and D. simulans.  I am curious about what genes and pathways are involved in these expression changes that have occurred during the evolution of D. melanogaster and D. simulans.