Emergence and Rates of Evolution of Viruses Intern

, Iowa

Office Hours: varies

Internship Title: Emergence and Rates of Evolution of Viruses Intern

Overview:
As part of an ongoing research interest into the origins, spread, and macroevolution of viruses, the laboratory is investigating the phylogeography and evolutionary rate of viruses with different genomic architectures. Viruses are incredibly diverse, with an array of genomic architectures. Viruses can have small single-stranded RNA genomes that can act as messenger RNA, as well as large double-stranded DNA genomes similar to the genomes of prokaryotes, such as bacteria. Extensive research has shown that viruses with small, single-stranded RNA or DNA genomes evolve rapidly and have high per nucleotide base mutation and substitution rates. In contrast, viruses with large, double-stranded DNA genomes are thought to evolve more slowly and have lower per nucleotide mutation and substitution rates. However, previous research has suggested that some double-stranded DNA viruses evolve rapidly, and exhibit mutation and substitution rates more similar to those of RNA viruses than bacteria. One hypothesis is that most double-stranded DNA viruses exhibit elevated rates, and that the low rates of virus evolution are artefacts of our inability to assess neutral genetic variation in these microbes.

Essential Tasks:

Students will collect and analyze data to determine whether species of double-stranded DNA viruses evolve rapidly or not. Data are to be gathered from GenBank, which has an extensive collection of viral genomes with associated metadata, such as collection time and geographic origin. Phylogenetic and coalescent analysis will be used to infer viral evolutionary rates, and if possible, geographic spread or origin. Students will learn how to navigate GenBank, collect DNA sequence data, create multiple alignments, and perform phylogenetic analysis. Students will be trained by the joint lab graduate students in all the techniques necessary, including basic molecular evolutionary theory. Some viral datasets will be particularly large and require the use of dedicated high performance computing resources to analyze, and students will be provided additional training in remote computing and basic shell programming.

THIS DESCRIPTION DOES NOT LIST ALL DUTIES. INTERN MAY BE ASKED TO PERFORM OTHER DUTIES BY THE STAFF OR SUPERVISOR. INTERN WILL BE EVALUATED ON PERFORMANCE OF THE PROJECTS LISTED AS WELL AS INTERACTION WITH EMPLOYEES AND CLIENTS. ON-SITE HOURS WILL BE NEGOTIATED WITH EACH CANDIDATE.

SAFETY EXPECTATIONS, INCLUDING HARASSMENT, SHOULD BE REVIEWED WITH THE HOST.

« back to listing