Dated gene duplications elucidate the evolutionary assembly of the eukaryotic cell

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• Christopher Kay, University of Bristol
• Wednesday 04 February 2026, 16:00-17:00
• Martin Ryle Seminar Room, Kavli Institute.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Selen Etingü.

The origin of eukaryotes is one of the major transitions in life’s history, yet the timeline of how the eukaryotic cell was assembled remains surprisingly unclear. Both fossils and molecular clocks give broad ranges, making it difficult to tell whether eukaryogenesis was a sudden event or a long, staged process. In this talk, I will present a different line of evidence based on the order of gene duplications across key cellular systems. By linking duplicated genes to specific intracellular features, we can reconstruct the sequence in which cytoskeletal components, membrane-trafficking systems, and metabolic innovations emerged. Time-resolving these duplications also allows us to frame eukaryogenesis within the palaeo-environmental conditions of early Earth. The resulting picture supports a protracted, stepwise assembly of eukaryotes — beginning before the widespread rise of oxygen.

This talk is part of the LCLU Seminars series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Cambridge Astronomy Talks
• LCLU Seminars
• Martin Ryle Seminar Room, Kavli Institute

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