Genomic Repeat: Nodding our Tusks to Heroic Mutations

This episode was originally released on August 2, 2022 Just like any good superhero comic, we start this episode with the science going incredibly wrong. Think: vats of toxic waste producing evil mutants that ravage the city. Or maybe not so evil. It really depends on your perspective. Just like the X-men, genetic mutations get a bad rap in the public eye. But they aren’t all nasty. Dr. Kaylee Byers speaks with data scientist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Brian Arnold on how the genetic ‘mistakes’ known as variants occasionally encode incredible abilities. Odd elephants, hiding in our ocean depths, and Rogue-ish bacteria are just a few examples. Dr. Arnold defends these genetic anomalies, and explains how they can make a huge difference to the future of humanity and life on this planet. Also joining us is marine biologist Dr. Maria Pia Miglietta, who shares an incredible ability sitting in our ocean depths. Immortality. So strap on your capes, because we’re heading straight into the strange terrain of “heroic mutations.” Listen to Nice Genes! wherever you get your podcasts, brought to you by Genome British Columbia. Resources: Genetic Mutation - Nature Genomic mutation rates: What high-throughput methods can tell us Shane Campbell Staton Group - Tuskless Elephants Ivory poaching and the rapid evolution of tusklessness in African elephants - Science Real-Life X-Men: How CRISPR Could Give You Superpowers in the Future - synthego.com Indonesian divers have evolved bigger spleens to hunt underwater - Science Mutations may reveal how Tibetans can live on world's highest plateau - Science The Immortal Jellyfish - American Museum of Natural History Cellular reprogramming and immortality: Expression profiling reveals putative genes involved in Turritopsis dohrnii’s life cycle reversal Transcriptome Characterization of Reverse Development in Turritopsis dohrnii (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria) Horizontal gene transfer and adaptive evolution in bacteria - nature reviews microbiology Horizontal gene transfer overrides mutation in Escherichia coli colonizing the mammalian gut - PNAS The Ship of Theseus Dilemma - Open Okstate