Michael McDonald
Doctor of Philosophy, (Genetics)
Study Completed: 2009
College of Sciences
Citation
Thesis Title
The genetics of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25: Adaptation to a spatially structured environment
Read article at Massey Research Online: 
Mr McDonald observed bacteria in real-time as they evolved to survive environmental change. He found that the genetic changes responsible for adaptation were most likely to occur in genes that control many other genes. He has provided the first evidence that the way genes are organised biases the genetic “material” that natural selection can use to fit an organism to its environment.
Supervisors
Distinguished Professor Paul Rainey
Dr Xue-Xian Zhang