Plenary-06

Susanna Manrubia

Professor of Interdisciplinary Science in Biology

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC)

Abstract:

The exploration of vast genotype spaces presents a significant challenge to evolving populations. As the number of genotypes encoding viable phenotypes grows exponentially with genome length, understanding how populations navigate and adapt within such spaces is crucial. In this talk, we discuss the adaptive dynamics of sequence ensembles, drawing on empirical data from viral populations. Despite the immense theoretical size of these spaces, even the largest viral populations explore only a minute fraction of possible sequences, constrained by local, blind searches of nearby genotypes. Yet, within these constraints, populations achieve phenotypic improvements and evolutionary innovations. We will discuss how the interplay between local exploration and the global scale of genotype spaces supports our ability to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships, challenging the assumption that only a few genotypes may be sufficiently fit. Instead, the high dimensionality of sequence spaces facilitates the discovery of improved phenotypes through localized searches, reshaping metaphors like fitness landscapes and redefining traditional notions of fitness.