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Alejandro Berrio
PeerJ Author
135 Points

Contributions by role

Author 135

Contributions by subject area

Bioinformatics
Evolutionary Studies
Genomics
Virology

Alejandro Berrio

PeerJ Author

Summary

I am Alejandro Berrio and I am a biologist interested in the evolution of unique characteristics. In particular, I am passionate about understanding how evolution is involved in the way genes are tuned.

We are the result of our genomes and their interaction with the environment. So, I use computers and mathematical models to identify the regions of a genome that are particularly different from what should be expected based upon their ancestors, and what genes are being tuned differently. Together, this data helps me identify the most important genetic switches and tuners of the genome. For example, I found many regulatory elements (tuners) in the human genome that explain why our brains, skin and fatty cells are different from other apes.


I love to think about our genomes as if they were the music sheet that a musician (environment) plays to execute a song (us). Therefore, my work seeks to identify the subtle changes (mutations) that the musician makes while performing an instrument, making each interpretation novel, different and amazing.

Animal Behavior Developmental Biology Evolutionary Studies Genomics

Past or current institution affiliations

Duke University

Work details

Postdoctoral Associate

Duke University
Biology

Websites

  • Personal Website
  • Google Scholar
  • GitHub

PeerJ Contributions

  • Articles 1
October 16, 2020
Positive selection within the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other Coronaviruses independent of impact on protein function
Alejandro Berrio, Valerie Gartner, Gregory A. Wray
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10234 PubMed 33088633