Matt joins Nels and Vincent to discuss the neutral theory of evolution and its rejection in light of genome-scale data.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Matt Hahn

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• Hahn Lab
• Molecular Population Genetics by Matt Hahn
• Neutral theoryin light of natural selection (Mol Biol Evol)
• Neutral Sequence Fallacy(Assembly of Fragments)
• Splendor and miseryof adaptation (BMC Biol)
• Image credit
• Letters readon TWiEVO 32

Nels - Inaugural Transposon Day Vincent - How many human genes?

Anne- Plants repeatedly lose ability to obtain nitrogen

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Nels and Vincent present ancient hepatitis B virus genome sequences from Bronze Age to Medieval period human remains.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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• Ancient hepatitis B virus genomes(Nature)
• Even more ancient HBV genomes(bioRxiv)
• Image credit
• Letters readon TWiEVO 31

Nels - Sampling whale breathwith drones (Preprint) Vincent - Verge Science

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Nels and Vincent reveal how a motor protein in corn causes preferential transmission of chromosomes to egg cells, leading to non-Mendelian inheritance.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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• Molecular Evolution and the Cellmeeting
• Selfishcorn chromosomes (Cell)
• Dawe Lab- neocentromeres and meiotic drive
• Image credit
• Letters readon TWiEVO 30

Nels - Craypot stinkhorn mushroom (Colus pusilus) Vincent -Doubts raised over plan to release herpesvirus to wipe out carp

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Nels and Vincent discuss the evolution of blood feeding to nonbiting in a mosquito, and evolution of bacterial virulence in the house finch caused by incomplete host immunity.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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• Molecular Evolution and the Cell meeting
• Mosquito evolution from blood feeding to nonbiting (PNAS)
• Mosquito blood feeding is not a free lunch (virology blog)
• Incomplete immunity and evolution of virulence (Science)
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiEVO 29

Nels - IDEA and Impossible Foods Vincent - it is NOT junk

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Sarah Tishkoff joins Nels and Vincent to explain work from her laboratory on the genetic basis of skin pigmentation in Africans.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Sarah Tishkoff

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• Molecular Evolution and the Cell meeting
• Sarah AMA on Reddit
• Genetics of African skin pigmentation (Science)
• Image credit

Nels - In Defense of Plants (Shrew Loo) Vincent - Contribution of NIH funding to new drug approvals

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Taking a cue from the recent frigid weather, Nels and Vincent explore how modifications of a neuronal cold-sensing channel regulate diminished cold sensitivity in hibernating mammals.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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• Why ground squirrels and hamsters don't mind the cold (Cell Rep)
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiEVO 27

Nels - Undergrad podcasters from Stonehill College Vincent - Viruses at Target

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Vinny Lynch joins Nels and Vincent to discuss how a zombie gene in elephants protects these large, long lived animals from cancer.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Vinny Lynch

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• Lynch Lab
• Elephant zombie LIF gene induces apoptosis (bioRxiv)
• Image credit

Nels - Animalism Vincent - Voyager I fires up thrusters after 37 years Vinny - Rollin' Wild

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Nels and Vincent discuss a genomic analysis of the passenger pigeon, which shows that species with large and stable populations may be at risk of extinction after a sudden environmental change.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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• Passenger pigeon genomic diversity (Science)
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiEVO 25

Nels - Video of nematophagous fungi Vincent - How should novelty be valued in science? John - Evo-Devo (Despacito Biology Parody) Melanie - What's in John's Freezer

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Marco Vignuzzi joins Nels and Vincent to discuss recent work from his laboratory on redirecting RNA virus evolution in sequence space.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Marco Vignuzzi

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• Vignuzzi Laboratory
• Redirecting evolution of RNA viruses in sequence space (Nat Micro)
• Is quasispecies concept relevant to RNA viruses? (J Virol)

This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. Get $30 off your first order and free shipping by going to blueapron.com/twie.

Nels - Global Tagging of Pelagic Predators Vincent - Why has the EPA shifted on toxic chemicals? Marco - Labs of Siobain Duffy, Seema Lackdawala, Chris Brook

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Nels and Vincent reveal how the protein DHX9 suppresses RNA processing defects caused by invasion of the Alu retroelement into the human genome.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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• DHX9 suppresses Alu defects (Nature)
• Asifa Akhtar on The Latest Thinking

This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. See what’s on the menu this week and get your first 3 meals free with your first purchase – WITH FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twie.

Nels - Saving Hellbender Salamanders Vincent - The Living River

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