Information Theory in Molecular Evolution: From Models to Structures and Dynamics

Dear Colleagues,

The modern biological sciences are driven by information. Large amounts of experimental data are collected and synthetized to create models to explain the complexity of biological systems. In addition, inter- and intra-cellular information processing is key to understanding cellular physiology and disease. The study of evolution, and in particular molecular evolution, has benefited from information theoretical insights since the foundational work of Ronald A. Fisher. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using tools from information theory and statistical physics to quantify and model evolutionary processes. An integration of quantitative evolutionary models with structural aspects of biomolecules has energized scientific contributions and discovery. Applications include the fields of protein structure prediction; protein folding; conformational plasticity in molecules; chromosome architecture and epistasis. Modern approaches also look at the study of dynamics and interactions within complexes that facilitate molecular recognition and catalytic specificity.

This Special Issue aims to collect novel contributions in this interdisciplinary field. We are especially interested in submissions that use information theoretical concepts as a core but are tightly integrated with the study of molecular processes. Applications may include novel evolutionary models, the application of phylogenetic signals to elucidate the biomolecular structure and function, and biomolecule engineering inspired by evolutionary cues. Also of interest for this issue are applications of entropy to the study of de novo gene birth, including the emergence of essential, taxonomically-restricted genes, as well as the dynamics of biomolecules, including molecular dynamics and biophysical modeling. Finally, biomedical applications related to mutational change and the use of statistical techniques to study viral evolution and disease are encouraged.

Appropriate submissions are encouraged from scientists with diverse and interdisciplinary backgrounds. Submissions should include examples of current or potential applications of entropy in biology or medicine with a special focus on molecular evolution. We encourage authors to make their contribution accessible to a wide range of science graduates, without compromising scientific content or flow. We also encourage the addition of a supplementary short (e.g. three minute) video that explains in plain language the general significance of the major finding(s).

Dr. Faruck Morcos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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