Tracing the Evolution of Genomic Mutability | Kelley Harris | Science in Medicine Lecture

Genetic mutation is the ultimate force that creates and destroys life: all adaptations, cancers, and debilitating genetic diseases are set in motion when a cell divides and transmits an imperfect copy of its DNA to one of its daughter cells.
As such, DNA replication fidelity is a trait with far reaching effects on both human health and the dynamics of evolution. Mutation rates vary between sites in the genome and also between closely related species, but little is known about the complex covariance of mutation rates across genomic space and evolutionary time. My lab is using genetic variation from diverse organisms to interrogate how mutational landscapes vary and evolve.