SGER: Phylogenies, gene conversion, concerted evolution, and ancestral sequence reconstruction

基因转换(在基因重组过程中发生并导致DNA序列信息改变的过程)是维持遗传信息和创造遗传多样性的重要机制。这也是一种已知对某些生物材料(如丝绸)的进化至关重要的机制。然而，基因转换也会导致基因重复的积累，从而导致常见的衰弱疾病(如强直性肌营养不良和帕金森病)。该项目将探索新的方法，包括一种实验性的数学建模方法，以解决基因转移对祖先DNA序列重建的影响。祖先序列的数学重建将允许研究人员通过时间重建特定蛋白质的中间表示。反过来，这将使研究人员能够物理地复制某些灭绝的蛋白质表型，并在实验中测试它们的行为。这将对基础和应用研究都很有用，并将促进对结构和功能蛋白质进化的理解，以及新生物材料的发现。此外，研究结果可能有助于阐明破坏性精神疾病的演变。

Gene conversion (a process that can occur during genetic recombination and result in altered DNA sequence information) is an important mechanism contributing to both the maintenance of genetic information and the creation of genetic diversity. It is also a mechanism known to be essential for the evolution of certain biomaterials (e.g., silk). However, gene conversion can also cause the accumulation of genetic repeats, which result in common debilitating diseases (e.g., Myotonic Dystrophy and Parkinson's Disease). This project will explore novel methods, including an experimental mathematical modeling approach, for addressing the effects of gene transfer on ancestral DNA sequence reconstruction. The mathematical reconstruction of ancestral sequences will allow researchers to recreate intermediate representations of a particular protein through time. This, in turn, will enable researchers to physically reproduce certain extinct protein phenotypes, and experimentally test their behavior. This will be useful for both basic and applied research and will catalyze the understanding of structural and functional protein evolution, and the discovery of new biomaterials. Additionally, results may help elucidate the evolution of devastating mental diseases.