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Scholarly Scoop: Monkeypox Bioinformatic Insights Into an Emerging Viral Pathogen

Please join us as Robert Kuzoff with the Biology and the Computer Science Department shares information on Monkeypox. Historically, Monkeypox was endemic to Africa, but spread to London in 2022. Thereafter, the virus spread to 111 countries, yielding 85,000 cases worldwide. The Monkeypox genome evolves roughly 6 times faster than that of its closest relatives. To pinpoint the origin and epidemiological consequences of this elevated mutation rate, we will: (1) infer a phylogeny for Monkeypox and its relatives; (2) estimate dates for divergence events; and (3) compare rates and patterns of protein evolution across this viral lineage. These results may shed light on the abnormal rate of protein evolution and recent proliferation of Monkeypox outside Africa.