Our weekly seminar series featuring internal and external speakers in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology. This seminar will be in-person and livestreaming on Zoom (link this page).

Abstract:
RNA viruses have exceptionally high mutation rates, on the order of one new mutation per replication cycle. These mutation rates are frequently invoked to explain the ability of these viruses to rapidly adapt to new or changing environmental conditions, such as changes in host immunity profiles for endemic viruses such as influenza and changes in host species in the case of spillover viruses. Here, I will instead focus on the evolutionary constraints to viral adaptation that are brought about by high mutation rates in the context of spatial within-host viral compartmentalization, transmission bottlenecks between infectors and infectees, and genetic linkage across viral genomes. I will also discuss means of population-level viral adaptation that are accessible in the context of these constraints. The empirical examples I will draw on will include influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2.

Contact eebsemaccess@umich.edu for Zoom password at least 2 hours prior to event.