Matthew B Hufford

Matthew B Hufford is a Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at Iowa State University. He joined the faculty in 2013 as an Assistant Professor and currently holds the Cassling Family Professorship. His research focuses on the evolution and ecology of crops, particularly maize and its wild relatives, including teosintes. Key areas include demography of maize landraces, gene flow dynamics in Zea genus, and comparative genomics of grass species.

Education: B.S. in Biology from Wheaton College (1999), M.S. in International Agricultural Development and Ph.D. in Ecology, both from UC Davis (2010).

Research interests span genomic diversity in maize, adaptation to environmental conditions, and the role of transposable elements in genome evolution. His lab investigates genomic resources like pan-genomes and assembly tools (e.g., Gapless assemblies using long-read technologies). Recent trends in publications highlight advancements in genomic tools, climate adaptation, and comparative analyses across grass species.

Labs/Teams: The Hufford Lab at Iowa State University focuses on evolutionary genomics, leveraging genomic data to understand crop domestication and adaptation. Collaborations involve bioinformatics, genetics, and ecological studies.