In this science outreach series, scientists present different scientific topics to the general public in a laid-back atmosphere in an art gallery.

The November 2023 event:
Natural Selection During the Black Death
Presented by Dr. Tauras Vilgalys
University of Chicago
(full abstract below)

PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM.

Exciting science, art and socializing.
Donation bar.
Vegan snacks.

Events are always free and open to all, so feel free to invite others.
Hope to see you there!

Parlour & Ramp Gallery is at 2130 W. 21st St.
Easily accessible by the pink line (Damen stop) and the Damen Ave. (#50) bus. Some street parking available.
https://parlourandramp.com/

Facebook event page,
https://www.facebook.com/events/1743101606152929/.

If you are not already a member, you are invited to join the Art of Science group and be invited to future events.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/308458645920283/

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Natural Selection During the Black Death

Plague devastated Europe during the 14th century. During the Black Death, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, 30-50% of the European population died within a decade.

Dr. Vilgalys and his colleagues combined population and functional genomic approaches to identify genetic variants which were protective against Y. pestis infection. Using ancient genomic data from 321 individuals from London and Denmark, they found that genetic variants located near immune genes were more differentiated between pre- and post-plague samples than expected under neutrality. Four variants show particularly high differentiation in both the London and Denmark cohorts, and therefore represent the strongest candidates for positive selection. Stimulating immune cells with live bacteria, they found evidence that the strongest candidate for selection affects gene expression and increases bacterial clearance.

Finally, many of the variants which appear to have been protective during the Black Death increase the risk for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders in modern individuals. Thus, the results appear to suggest a tradeoff between infectious and inflammatory diseases in human evolution.

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Dr. Tauras Vilgalys is an evolutionary biologist who uses genomic approaches to understand how humans and other species have adapted to infectious diseases. He received his PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology from Duke University in 2019, and is currently a Ruth Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow with Luis Barreiro at the University of Chicago.
vilgalys.weebly.com

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Image credit: Museum of London Archaeology

Official Website

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Tags: Art of Science, Art of Science: Natural Selection During the Black Death, Dr. Tauras Vilgalys, Lower West Side, Parlour & Ramp Gallery, Pilsen