Severe Somatic Bottleneck in Mitochondrial DNA of Human Hair

by Alison Barrett
Heteroplasmy is the presence of a genetically heterogeneous population of mitochondrial DNA within the same individual, tissue, or cell, which can result from de novo mutations or from inheritance of variants via the maternal lineage. We analyzed heteroplasmy allele frequency at specific sites in human hairs and estimated the somatic bottleneck using population genetics modeling. These findings have important implications in forensic investigations and for our understanding of mtDNA dynamics in the human body.
Major: 
Biology
Exhibition Category: 
Health and Life Sciences
Exhibition Format: 
Poster Presentation
Campus: 
University Park
Faculty Sponsor: 
Kateryna Makova
Location: 
Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Center
Poster Number: 
330