PhD Researcher in Bioinformatics: Investigating protein evolution using machine learning

Unraveling the tangled evolution of figs

Containing more than 850 species, fig trees are one of the most diverse groups of plants in the world.

Empirical Evidence That Complexity Limits Horizontal Gene Transfer

Abstract. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major contributor to bacterial genome evolution, generating phenotypic diversity, driving the expansion of protein

A Timeline of Bacterial and Archaeal Diversification in the Ocean

TWiV 1011: Aquatic viruses

Vincent travels to Québec City, Canada and the 11th Aquatic Virus Workshop, where he speaks with Frank Aylward and Jed Furman about the research of their lab...

A Saber-Toothed Permian Predator From Long Before Evolution Came Up With Cats

As an extinction crisis wiped out species at the end of the Permian Period, a predatory species emerged that dominated Southern Africa’s domain.

Fight not flight: parasites drive the bacterial evolution of resistance, not avoidance

In the face of ubiquitous threats from parasites, hosts often evolve strategies to resist infection or to altogether avoid contact with parasites. At the microbial scale, bacteria frequently encounter viral parasites, bacteriophages.

Cheating leads to the evolution of multipartite viruses

In multipartite viruses, the genome is split into multiple segments, each of which is transmitted via a separate capsid.

Mycorrhizas drive the evolution of plant adaptation to drought - Communications Biology

Phylogenetic comparative analysis using data of 1,638 species of angiosperms and gymnosperms suggests that the evolution of plant adaptation to critical environmental change in water availability across global climates is dependent on mycorrhizas.

Non-structural genes of novel lemur adenoviruses reveal codivergence of virus and host

Abstract. Adenoviruses are important human and animal pathogens, and are frequently used as vectors for gene therapy and vaccine delivery. Surprisingly, there a

Scaling of Protein Function Across the Tree of Life

Scaling laws are a powerful way to compare genomes because they put all organisms onto a single curve and reveal non-trivial generalities as genomes change in size.

Influenza A virus coinfection dynamics are shaped by distinct virus-virus interactions within and between cells

Author summary The co-occurrence of distinct virus populations within a single host occurs commonly, when an individual acquires a second infection before a prior one has been cleared.

PhyloPic

PhyloPic is an open database of free silhouette images of animals, plants, and other life forms, available for reuse under Creative Commons licenses.

Archaeal DNA-import apparatus is homologous to bacterial conjugation machinery - Nature Communications

Bacteria can exchange DNA through extracellular appendages (‘mating pili’) in a process known as conjugation. Here, Beltran et al.

Decades-old crustaceans coaxed from lake mud give up genetic secrets revealing evolution in action

Human actions are changing the environment at an unprecedented rate. Plant and animal populations must try to keep up with these human-accelerated changes, often by trying to rapidly evolve tolerance to changing conditions.

The dawn of relaxed phylogenetics

In 2006, a landmark study on relaxed phylogenetics was published in PLOS Biology. This Perspective discusses how relaxed phylogenetics has influenced the field of evolutionary biology by enabling researchers to investigate evolution’s tempo.

Phylogenomics of the Maverick Virus-Like Mobile Genetic Elements of Vertebrates

Abstract. Mavericks are virus-like mobile genetic elements found in the genomes of eukaryotes. Although Mavericks encode capsid morphogenesis homologs, their vi

Quantifying the local adaptive landscape of a nascent bacterial community - Nature Communications

Fitness landscapes largely shape the dynamics of evolution, but it is unclear how they shift upon ecological diversification. By engineering genome-wide knockout libraries of a nascent bacterial community, Ascensao et al.

Comparative analysis of genome-scale, base-resolution DNA methylation profiles across 580 animal species - Nature Communications

DNA methylation is involved in regulatory processes throughout the animal kingdom. Here, the authors map DNA methylation in 535 vertebrates and 45 invertebrates, establishing a reference dataset for cross-species analysis and exploring epigenetic var…

Current advances in primate genomics: novel approaches for understanding evolution and disease - Nature Reviews Genetics

In this Review, the authors describe how advances in comparative primate genomics — complemented by multi-layered omic resources and primate cell systems — are providing insights into the evolution of primates and the genetic underpinnings of key tra…

Ten things you should know about transposable elements - Genome Biology

Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of eukaryotic genomes. However, the extent of their impact on genome evolution, function, and disease remain a matter of intense interrogation.

Sexual selection in females and the evolution of polyandry

Over the last decades, the field of sexual selection underwent a paradigm shift from sexual-stereotype thinking of “eager” males and “coy” females towards a more nuanced perspective acknowledging that not only males but also females can benefit from …

Single innate immune effectors control ecological microbiome bacteria across evolutionary timescales

Antimicrobial peptides are host-encoded antibiotics that combat invading microbes and help shape the microbiome in plants and animals.

Evo-Devo (Despacito Biology Parody) | A Capella Science

This is how we go from single cells to people.Support A Capella Science: http://patreon.com/acapellascienceSubscribe! https://www.youtube.com/subscription_ce...