My lab addresses evolutionary questions that are at the interface of genomics, genetics, development, and ecology.  I work almost exclusively with ambystomatid salamanders because they:

• exhibit considerable phenotypic variation within and between species, and are thus ideally suited for comparative studies
• can be crossed (intra- and interspecifically) and cultured in the laboratory
• are a model amphibian system that will continue to make important contributions to vertebrate biology.

Research Interest in Genomics

Analysis of the vertebrate genome
From an evolutionary perspective, the extension of genome analysis to additional vertebrate species will allow identification of homologous chromosomal segments, and thus facilitate comparative studies of genome evolution (Voss et al., 2001). We are developing a comprehensive amphibian genome map.  Specifically, we are mapping the location of approximately 500 protein-coding loci using an interspecific mapping cross (Ambystoma mexicanum x A. mexicanum/A. tigrinum tigrinum).  When completed, our map will provide answers to fundamental problems in evolutionary biology, including the relative importance and timing of genome duplications, gene duplications, gene losses, and chromosomal rearrangements that have occurred between urodeles and other vertebrates.  Also, the map will facilitate genome-cross referencing between salamander and model organisms with completely characterized genomes.

• Smith, J.J., Kump, K., Walker, J., Parichy, D.M., and Voss, S.R. 2005. A genetic linkage map for tiger salamander and mexican axolotl (Ambystoma): Enabling gene mapping, comparative genomics, and PCR marker development in Ambystoma.In press, Genetics.
• Jones, M.T., Voss, S.R., Margaret B. Ptacek, David Weisrock, and David W. Tonkyn. Population genetics and geographic variation in the shovel-nosed salamander, Desmognathus marmoratus. In press, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
• Voss, S.R. and J.J. Smith. Evolution of salamander life cycles: A major effect QTL contributes to both continuous and discrete variation for metamorphic timing. Genetics170:275-181.
• Samuels, AK, D. Weisrock, J.J. Smith, S. Putta, J. Walker, K. France, and S.R. Voss. 2005. Transcriptional and phylogenetic analysis of 5 complete ambystomatid salamander mitochondrial genomes. Gene 349:43-53.
• Sri Putta, J.J. Smith, J. Walker, M. Rondet , D. Weisrock, J. Monaghan, K. Kump, D.C. King, N. J. Maness, B. Habermann, E. Tanaka, S.V. Bryant, D.M. Gardiner, D.M. Parichy, and S.R. Voss. 2004. From Biomedicine to Natural History Research: Expressed Sequence Tag Resources for Ambystomatid Salamanders. BMC Genomics 5:54.
• Shaffer, H.B. Fellers, G.M., Voss, S.R., Oliver J.C., and Pauly, G.B. 2004. Species boundaries, phylogeography, and conservation genetics of the red-legged frog (Rana aurora/draytonii) complex. Molecular Ecology 13:2667-2677.
• Voss, S.R., K. Prudic, J. Oliver, and H.B. Shaffer. 2003. Candidate gene analysis of metamorphic timing in ambystomatid salamanders. Molecular Ecology 12:1217-1223.
• Riley, S.P.D., H.B. Shaffer, S.R. Voss, and B.M. Fitzpatrick 2003. Hybridization between a rare, native tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) and its introduced congener. Ecological Applications13:1263-1275.
• Voss, S.R., J.J. Smith, D.M. Gardiner, and D.M. Parichy. 2001. Conserved vertebrate chromosomal segments in the large salamander genome. Genetics 158:735-746.
• Voss, S.R. and H.B. Shaffer. 2000. Evolutionary genetics of metamorphic failure using wild-caught versus laboratory axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum). Molecular Ecology 9:1401-1408.
• Voss, S.R., H.B. Shaffer, J. Taylor, R. Safi, and V. Laudet. 2000. Candidate gene analysis of thyroid hormone receptors in metamorphosing and non-metamorphosing salamanders. Heredity 85:107-114.
• Shaffer, H.B., G.M. Fellers, A. Magee, and S.R. Voss.  2000. The genetics of amphibian declines: Population substructure and molecular differentiation in the Yosemite Toad, Bufo Canorus (Anura, Bufonidae) based on SSCP and mtDNA sequence data. Molecular Ecology 9:245-257.