Title:

The good, the bad, and the neutral: Understanding how mutations constrain evolution

Abstract:

Mutations are the ultimate source of all biological innovation. However, we have a very limited understanding of how new mutations affect protein function, physiology of organisms, their fitness, the ecology of the surrounding community, etc. In this talk, I will discuss some of our recent theoretical and experimental efforts to understand the effects of mutations at these different levels of biological organization and their consequences for evolutionary dynamics.