On Monday, May 18, at 18:00 EEST we are delighted to host our guest Dr. Viorel Munteanu, who will present his latest research on #metagenomics, #pangenomics, and #microbial #genomeevolution through the lens of probabilistic phylogenetic modeling.

Talk:

Dr. Viorel Munteanu, "Phylogenetic Comparative Genomics of Microbial Pangenomes", Technical University of Moldova, Moldova

Abstract: Metagenomic sequencing has transformed access to microbial diversity, yet robust frameworks for reconstructing and interpreting gene content evolution directly from metagenome-derived genomes remain underdeveloped. Here, we introduce a scalable and fully reproducible bioinformatics framework for meta-pangenome reconstruction coupled with phylogeny-based inference of gene gain–loss dynamics and selective regimes.

The framework unifies genome annotation, orthologous group inference, and phylogenetic reconstruction with a continuous-time Markov model that estimates lineage-specific gain and loss rates and reconstructs ancestral gene states across the tree. We further develop a statistical classification scheme that leverages model-based likelihood comparisons to detect directional asymmetry in gene turnover, enabling the identification of genes evolving under distinct selective pressures at both gene and genome scales.

By integrating meta-pangenome reconstruction with explicit probabilistic modelling of gene turnover and selection, this work provides a rigorous and extensible framework for quantifying gene flow in complex microbial communities, enables large-scale analyses, and supports applications in genomic surveillance, antimicrobial resistance tracking, and One Health research, facilitating systematic comparisons across environments and taxonomic clades.

Keywords:pangenome, metagenome, phyletic pattern, genome evolution, probabilistic evolutionary models, gene gain and loss.

Resources:

• https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-4133-5945

Format: Online, free to attend, registration required: zoom

Organization: YMS is organized by RSBI and is linked to RoBioinfo Seminars

Chair: Marius Surleac

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