AP14869076: The impact of mobile genetic elements on human genome evolution

Grant funding 2022-2024

The aim of the project is to study a potential role of diverse transposable elements and endogenous retroviruses insertion events that is linked to cellular adaptation and human health and disease.
The comparison of individual human genomes based on the mobile genetic elements and endogenous retroviruses diversity suggests their involvement in human evolution and genetic diversity. Because many of these elements are known to be disease activated, we will be able to make predictive inferences concerning genetic change and expected effects on biodiversity for other locales. Additionally, the project aims to develop a universal bioinformatics pipeline to analyse long-read nanopore ONT sequencing data from all human genome-wide sequences that can be interpreted and applied by researchers and public health authorities.

The mobile genetic elements and endogenous viruses’ diversity and human genomic adaptation and evolution is poorly understood. The proposed research would allow for, the first time, an examination of the role of mobile genetic elements and endogenous retroviruses insertion events in shaping human population differentiation and genetic change. One of the key drivers of genome evolution and genetic diversification, TEs will be systematically evaluated for their role. Because many of these elements are known to be disease activated, we will be able to make predictive inferences concerning genetic change and expected effects on biodiversity for other locales.

The mobile genetic elements and endogenous viruses’ diversity and human genomic adaptation and evolution are poorly understood. The proposed research would allow for, for the first time, an examination of the role of mobile genetic elements and endogenous retroviruses insertion events in shaping human population differentiation and genetic change. One of the key drivers of genome evolution and genetic diversification, TEs will be systematically evaluated for their role. Because many of these elements are known to be disease-activated, we will be able to make predictive inferences concerning genetic change and expected effects on biodiversity for other locales. This variation has an evolutional component that is linked to cellular adaptation and the potential role of human health and disease. The role of the mobile genetic elements and endogenous retroviruses diversity play in human evolution, by the comparison of individual human genomes will be explored. Therefore, the results of this project are of great importance for the fundamental sciences. The research plan involves the publication: at least 2 articles and (or) reviews in peer-reviewed scientific publications included in the 1st and (or) 2nd quartile by impact factor in the Web of Science database and (or) having a CiteScore percentile in the Scopus database of at least 65.