Class

Article

College

College of Science

Faculty Mentor

Zach Gompert

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

Empirical evidence has demonstrated that individual features of an organism, such as a dog’s hair color, are often the expression of a set of interdependent genes rather than that of a single gene. When outward features, or phenotypes, are predicated on a set of interdependent genes, the genes are said to be epistatic. This project uses a software model to simulate the emergence of epistasis within a simple haploid species. Correspondent to the utility of an individual’s phenotypic expression, each organism possesses a calculated fitness value based upon its genetic composition. As high fitness individuals tend to have a longer life than those with lower fitness levels, reproductive opportunities are skewed in favor of those organisms having the most favorable genetic makeup as expressed by fitness.

Location

Room 421

Start Date

4-12-2018 1:30 PM

End Date

4-12-2018 2:45 PM

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Apr 12th, 1:30 PM Apr 12th, 2:45 PM

Modeling the Emergence of Epistatic Gene Combinations as a Phenotypic Function of Evolution

Room 421

Empirical evidence has demonstrated that individual features of an organism, such as a dog’s hair color, are often the expression of a set of interdependent genes rather than that of a single gene. When outward features, or phenotypes, are predicated on a set of interdependent genes, the genes are said to be epistatic. This project uses a software model to simulate the emergence of epistasis within a simple haploid species. Correspondent to the utility of an individual’s phenotypic expression, each organism possesses a calculated fitness value based upon its genetic composition. As high fitness individuals tend to have a longer life than those with lower fitness levels, reproductive opportunities are skewed in favor of those organisms having the most favorable genetic makeup as expressed by fitness.