Two transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils
- ๐ค Speaker: Dr Elizabeth Murchison, Dept. of Veterinary Medicine
- ๐ Date & Time: Wednesday 01 March 2017, 14:00 - 15:00
- ๐ Venue: MR4, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge
Abstract
Tasmanian devils are marsupial carnivores endemic to the Australian island of Tasmania. Tasmanian devils are considered endangered due to the emergence of a transmissible facial cancer that is spread between animals by the transfer of living allogeneic cancer cells by biting. This cancer, known as Devil Facial Tumour 1 (DFT1), was first observed in 1996, and has spread through devil populations across most of the island. In 2014, a second transmissible facial cancer, DFT2 , was observed in devil populations in Tasmaniaโs south-east. Considering the rarity of transmissible cancers in nature, it is surprising to find two transmissible cancers in the same species. We have reconstructed the genomes of both DFT1 and DFT2 , and are using these to understand the origins and evolution of transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils.
Series This talk is part of the Computational and Systems Biology series.
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Dr Elizabeth Murchison, Dept. of Veterinary Medicine
Wednesday 01 March 2017, 14:00-15:00