Dr. Alan J.S. Beavan — O'Connell Research Group

Alan is a post-doctoral research fellow studying the evolution of specialised ribosomes. Far from being homogenous, protein-synthesising machines, ribosomes within and between cells in the same organism are structurally heterogenous. In specialised ribosomes, these structural differences cause a functional difference in the proteins produced.

Ribosome Specialisation & Gene Regulation

Though an important way in which diverse eukaryotes finetune their gene regulation, it is not yet clear how and why specialised ribosomes evolved. Alan is working to remedy this, using a range of phylogenetic techniques to ask when ribosomal protein paralogs emerge, how they subsequently evolve, and how gene duplication structures the 3D ribosome.

3D ribosome structure showing the distribution of ribosomal protein paralogs

Figure: Three-dimensional ribosome structure illustrating the spatial distribution of ribosomal protein paralogs, highlighting the structural heterogeneity that underlies specialised ribosome function.

Broader Interests in Molecular Evolution

Alan is also interested in other aspects of molecular evolution. Graduating from the University of Bristol in 2022 with a PhD in phylogenetics, he is well versed in different phylogenetic methods including divergence time estimation, gene tree–species tree reconciliation, and Bayesian methods. He is also interested in how bacteria evolve and how fluid bacterial “pangenomes” and horizontal gene transfer can aid their adaptation. He has published software and is exploring how artificial intelligence can improve evolutionary analyses.

Outside the Lab

In his spare time, Alan likes watching birds, comedy, and alternative pop music.

Collaboration: Alan's ribosome work fits into RiboCode — a well-oiled collaborative machine featuring members from the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield, and the Biofisika Institutua, Bilbao.