Cha-Cha-Changes: Strange Stories of DNA, Mobilization, and Evolution
Dr. Sarah Schaack
Mutations to DNA come in all shapes and sizes and can be “good”, “bad” ,or do absolutely nothing at all!
Dr. Sarah Schaack of Reed College studies and understands how these tiny, rare events shape life as we know it and connect to our biological world in rather astounding ways. She is ready toshare her insights from the frontiers of DNA cutting-edge research with those of us interestedin the history--and the future!--of life on earth.
In her lecture on April 18, Dr. Schaack will speak on Cha-Cha-Changes: Strange Stories of DNA, Mobilization, and Evolution to introduce the basic biology of DNA mutations, what causes them, how often they happen, and to what effect, in lineages ranging from viruses, to aquatic microcrustaceans, to our very own species.
An evolutionary biologist specializing in the dynamics, causes and consequences of spontaneous mutations, Dr. Schaack is fascinated by mutations caused by “promiscuous” mobile DNA, which refers to stretches of DNA that once could--or still do--replicate or jump around the genome rather than passing in an orderly fashion from “parent” to “offspring”.
Once thought to be insignificant “junk” in the genome, patterns of change related to mobile DNA are now known to be common, and in many cases, are highly impactful. From this starting point, she’ll share what is known about the “mobilome”, the most exciting and changeable part of the genome.
Dr. Schaack graduated from Earlham College, completed her master’s degree in zoology with a minor in African Studies at the University of Florida, and earned her doctorate in biology at Indiana University. She served as an honorary lecturer at Makerere University in Uganda for three years and was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in 2013.
At Reed College, Dr. Schaack organizes workshops to introduce students to problems and tools in bioinformatics and genomics. She describes this approach as “a frontier in the field of biology that provides lots of opportunities for students to do research, often for the first time”.
