PopGen Vienna Seminar: How to find a “Ruby in the Rubbish?”: On using population genomics to make inference about beneficial mutations, deleterious mutations and their impact on adaptation

Speaker

Thomas Bataillon (Aarhus Univ., DK)

When and where

Starts: Tuesday, 03 November 2026 - 17:00
Ends: Tuesday, 03 November 2026 - 18:00
Location: Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Location details: Lecture Hall A (Building FA, ground floor) and online

Event description

I will exemplify how genomic signatures—patterns left by evolutionary processes—can be used to infer the nature and distribution of mutations and their consequences for adaptive evolution. We will discuss recent advances in population genomics and statistical inference that allow us to detect signals of positive selection, quantify the burden of deleterious variation, and assess their joint impact on the adaptive potential of populations. Emphasis will be placed on the methodological frameworks that integrate genomic data with evolutionary models, including approaches for estimating the distribution of fitness effects of new mutations. Through case studies drawing from a diverse array of organisms (plants, primates and bacteria in marine sediments), the seminar will highlight current challenges in inferring how the balance between beneficial and deleterious mutations shapes evolutionary trajectories and influences the capacity of organisms to respond to environmental change.

Further details

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Schedule and updates are listed on our website: https://www.popgen-vienna.at/news/seminars/

Many talks are recorded and can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@popgenvienna8051

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