Accessing and applying molecular history

Abstract

Studying the evolutionary history of life’s molecules - DNA, RNA, and protein - reveals nature-based solutions to real-world problems. We discuss an approach to applied molecular evolution that is well-known within the field but may be unfamiliar to a wider audience. Using a case study at the intersection of molecular evolution and medicine, we introduce the fundamental concepts of orthology and paralogy. We also explain a practical entry point to molecular evolution named STORI: Selectable Taxon Ortholog Retrieval Iteratively. STORI is a machine learning algorithm designed to clear a bottleneck that researchers encounter when studying evolution.