Detecting evolutionary hotspots in genome sequence data: Implications for evolving infectious diseases
SARS-CoV-2 is evolving as it continues to spread through the human population – we know this from analysis of the multitudes of viral genomes that are rapidly being sequenced across the globe. However, the question is whether or not those evolutionary changes have any important impacts on virulence and transmissibility, and what evolutionary changes should we be prepared for in the future. In this seminar, Dr. Susan Bailey, Assistant Professor of Biology at Clarkson University, will discuss bioinformatic approaches to identifying and predicting evolutionary change, how those approaches can be applied to genome data from infectious diseases like COVID-19, and finally how these kinds of analyses may help us to better prepare for evolving infectious diseases of the future. Dr. Bailey’s research interests include studying the drivers of evolution in microbes for which she uses both experimental and computational approaches. Her experience in this topic provides her with a unique perspective on the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Register here: https://connect.clarkson.edu/register/?id=09cf4240-bc08-45d5-abfb-e64797e03c73