Speaker
Richard Neher
Description
RNA viruses like HIV of influenza virus evolve rapidly and thereby
evade human immunity. While molecular evolution proceeds in the high
dimensional space of possible genomes, independent realization of the
viral evolution frequently proceed via similar mutational patterns and
predictably revert to ancestral states once selection pressures subside.
I will discuss the extent and limit of such repeatability using
longitudinal deep sequencing data of HIV populations. Related patterns
can be used to predict which influenza virus variants are most likely to
succeed and circulate in future seasons. In bacteria repeatability to is
typically limited to very strong pressure such as antibiotic selection
and is often found at the level of genes and pathways rather than
individual positions in the genome.
