David R. Nelson
Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
Date
28 September 2016
Host
Christof Aegerter
Title
Gene Surfing and Survival of the Luckiest
Abstract
Range expansions have played a crucial role in our evolutionary history. Descriptions of stochastic processes similar to Fokker-Planck equations are crucial for understanding mutations, number fluctuations and selective advantage in such situations. Genetic markers can be used to infer information about growth, ancestral population size and colonization pathways. Neutral mutations optimally positioned at the front of a growing population wave can increase their abundance by gene surfing. Experimental and theoretical studies of this effect will be presented, as well as recent explorations of how microorganisms cooperate and compete in the turbulent environment of the ocean.
