December 1 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Systems Biology Seminar Series
Tuesday, December 1st, 2026 at 3:00pm
This seminar will be In-Person.
Cedric Feschotte, PhD
Barbara McClintock Professor, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Mobile and Mandatory: Active Transposons as Essential Genes
Abstract:
Transposable elements (TEs; or transposons) make up the bulk of eukaryotic genomes and have a profound impact on the biology and evolution of species. Notably, TE sequences are a recurrent source of genetic material coopted to assemble new genes, control gene expression, and fuel evolutionary novelty. However, in nearly all cases of TE cooption, only parts of individual TE sequences are repurposed for cellular function and generally coopted TEs have long ceased to transpose. By contrast, actively mobile TEs are typically viewed as strictly selfish: they are thought to confer no immediate benefit to their host, and their replicative activities threaten genome integrity. In this talk, I will challenge this dogma by presenting evidence that active TE families in zebrafish and in human provide activities essential for the development and physiology of their host organism.
Bio: