My main research interest lies in understanding the genetic bases of polymorphisms and complex adaptive traits. The role of different genetic elements in shaping tangible morphological and behavioural traits fascinates me. I am trained in evolutionary biology and genetics with some background in molecular biology, however, my research interests also include developmental genetics and behavioural ecology.
During my PhD, I worked on understanding the evolutionary history, genetic architecture, and developmental basis of mimetic polymorphism in the butterfly species Papilio polytes, using a combination of genomic and transcriptomic data.
My current project in the Chapuisat group focusses on understanding various aspects of social polymorphism in the Alpine silver ant, Formica selysi. The social supergene has been maintained in the Formica group of ants for millions of years and has been passed on to several descendent species, making it an exciting study system. My work focusses on the organization of the social supergene, its evolutionary history, and introgression between species.
Nov 2021 onwards
Postdoctoral researcher
University of Lausanne
Aug 2014 to Dec 2020
PhD, Biology National Centre for Biological Science
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
“Genetic and developmental bases of wing patterning in Papilio swallowtail butterflies”
PhD Advisor: Dr. Krushnamegh Kunte
Bangalore, India
2012 to 2014
M.Sc. Biotechnology
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Mumbai, India
2009 to 2012
B.Sc. Biotechnology
Ramnarain Ruia College
Mumbai Mumbai India
Deshmukh, R., Baral S., Kuwalekar M., Kizhakke A. G., and Kunte K. 2022. Reproductive barriers and genomic hotspots of adaptation during allopatric species divergence. bioRxiv, 2022.03.11.483945; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.11.483945
Deshmukh, R., Lakhe D., and Kunte K. 2020. Tissue-specific developmental regulation and isoform usage underlie the role of doublesex in sex-limited polymorphic mimicry in Papilio swallowtails. Royal Society Open Science. 7:200792 http://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.200792
Kuwalekar, M.*, Deshmukh R.*, Padvi A., and Kunte K. 2020. Molecular evolution and developmental expression of melanin pathway genes in Lepidoptera. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 8:226. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.00226. *equal contribution.
Yang L., Ravikanthachari N., Mariño-Pérez R., Deshmukh R., Wu M., Rosenstein A., Kunte K., Song H. and Andolfatto P. (2019), Predictability in the evolution of Orthopteran cardenolide insensitivity. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 374:1777 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0246
Baral S., Gandhimathi A., Deshmukh R., Kunte K. (2019) Genetic architecture and sex-specific selection govern modular, male-biased evolution of doublesex. Science Advances, 5, eaau3753. https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/5/eaau3753
Deshmukh, R., Baral, S., Gandhimathi, A., Kuwalekar, M. & Kunte, K. (2017) Mimicry in butterflies: co-option and a bag of magnificent developmental genetic tricks. WIREs Dev. Biol., 1759-7692, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wdev.291
