Upcoming ISCBacademy Webinars
Join us for our upcoming ISCBacademy Webinars. Check back regularly for updates
SaGePhy: A phylogenetic simulation framework for gene and subgene evolution
By Soumya Kundu
December 8, 2020 at 11:00AM EST
Abstract: SaGePhy (pronounced sage-phy) is a software package for improved phylogenetic simulation of gene and subgene evolution. SaGePhy can be used to generate species trees, gene trees, and subgene or (protein) domain trees using a probabilistic birth–death process that allows for gene and subgene duplication, horizontal gene and subgene transfer, and gene and subgene loss. SaGePhy implements a range of important features not generally found in other phylogenetic simulation frameworks; these include the ability to simulate (i) subgene or domain level events inside one or more gene families, (ii) both additive and replacing horizontal gene and subgene/domain transfers, (iii) distance-biased horizontal transfers, and (iv) probabilistic sampling of species tree and gene tree nodes, respectively, for gene- and domain-family birth. SaGePhy therefore makes it possible to perform more realistic simulation of gene and subgene/domain evolution.
Hosted by:
“Open Access” Data and the Continued Bio-Exploitation of Indigenous Genomes
by Krystal Tsosie
December 10, 2020 at 11:00AM EST
While the field of genomics has certainly advanced technologically in the past 20 years, what (if anything) has actually changed in how scientists engage Indigenous people?
Global Indigenous groups expressed concerns about the biocommercial exploitation of Indigenous-derived genomic data at the start of large-scale diversity projects such as the Human Genome Diversity Project, Genographic Project, and 1000 Genomes. Open accessibility of these data were meant to “democratize” the field of genomics to advance technology and bridge health inequities—but for whom? Health benefits have yet to arrive to those Indigenous communities from whom DNA was questionably procured, yet companies continue to build intellectual property from openly sourced Indigenous genomes.
Presentation will highlight individual versus group consent issues and the myth of de-identification of DNA for small, underrepresented groups in genomics. In addition, Indigenous genomic data sovereignty and the importance of Indigenous-led biological and data repositories (or ‘biobanks’) will be discussed as means of centering Indigenous forms of data governance.
Hosted By:
