Biophysics & Development Seminar: Nick Jones, Imperial College London

Presenter: Nick S. Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Imperial College London

Title: Survival of the densest accounts for the expansion of mitochondrial mutations in ageing

While studying how mtDNA mutations might spread along muscle fibers we discovered a curious effect: a species that is at a replicative disadvantage can nonetheless outcompete a faster-replicating rival. We found that the effect requires the three conditions of stochasticity, spatial structure, and one species having a higher carrying capacity. I’ll discuss how this connects to existing data and resolves a decades-long debate in the mitochondrial literature. I’ll then discuss therapeutic implications and connections to altruism. If I make good time I will also discuss how, given time series data for individuals, but an unknown model, a particular giant time-series feature library allows us to nonetheless identify relevant parameters for inter-individual variation.