1/26/2006
3:30pm-4:30pm
ECCR 265
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How Mutational Patterns Influence Molecular Evolution
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The pattern of neutral mutation in the genomes can be modeled as a Markov
process. Deviations from Markov expectations can indicate patterns of natural
selection or shared ancestry, and inferring parameters of Markov processes
acting over evolutionary time underpins many key bioinformatics tools. In this
talk, I discuss current research in my laboratory that exploits these patterns
to develop new algorithms that detect horizontal gene transfer (cases in which
genes move from one species to another), relate microbial communities to one
another in terms of phylogenetic diversity, predict RNA secondary structure,
and identify correlations between different parts of protein sequences that
explain why mutations that cause disease in humans can be tolerated in other
species. By developing a global map of mutation patterns in different genes and
lineages, we will be able to improve the performance of a wide range of
bioinformatics techniques, and perhaps uncover the physical basis for the
diversity of DNA composition in different species, a phenomenon that has
puzzled biochemists for almost 50 years.
Hosted by Lawrence Hunter.
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