Andrzej Galbarczyk, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow; Urszula Marcinkowska, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow; Grazyna Jasienska, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow.

Objective Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common infections experienced by women. Previously, scalp and facial hair have been shown to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Here we hypothesize that having hair down there might positively affect the genitourinary microbiome and, therefore, protect from UTI. Methods This study investigated grooming habits and diagnoses of UTI that had occurred in the past year in 2621 women (aged 18–45). Women who reported removing all their pubi

Frederic Bertels, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön; Paul Rainey, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as transposons and insertion sequences, propagate within bacterial genomes, but persistence times in individual lineages are short. For long-term survival, MGEs must continuously invade new hosts by horizontal transfer. Theoretically, MGEs that persist for millions of years in single lineages, and are thus subject to vertical inheritance, should not exist. Here I will present an exception — a class of MGE termed REPIN. REPINs are non-autonomous MGEs whose dup

Hugo C. Barreto, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal; Beatriz Abreu, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal; Isabel Gordo, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.

Iron is critical in host-microbe interactions, and its availability is tightly regulated in the mammalian gut. Antibiotics and inflammation can perturb iron availability in the gut, which could alter host-microbe interactions. Here, we show that an adaptive allele of iscR, a major regulator of iron homeostasis of Escherichia coli, is under fluctuating selection in the mouse gut. In vivo competitions in immune-competent, immune-compromised, and germ-free mice reveal that the selective pressure on

Fereshteh Ghazisaeedi, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin; Benno Kuropka, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin; Uwe Roesler, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin; Olga Makarova, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin and Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world as well as a potent antimicrobial. Its traces are commonly be found in food and feed. Enteric pathogens such as Salmonella may come in contact with glyphosate in the animal gut, creating opportunities for glyphosate resistance development in bacteria. We recently demonstrated that it is possible to select for glyphosate resistance without any fitness costs in Samonella Typhimurium in vitro (Pöppe et al., 2020). Here, using host cell invas

Mahmoud Habib Maje, MScPH; Musa Baba Maiyaki, MBBS, MPH; Garba Dahiru, MBBS; Amina Abdullahi, MBBS, MPH; Tijjani Hussaini, MBBS, MPH; Sabitu Shuaibu, MBBS; Mohammed Auwal Ibrahim, MSc; Auwal Adamu, MSc; Nura Mohammed, MScPH; Hamisu M. Salihu, MD, PhD Corresponding author email: mahmoudmaje@yahoo.com

Background: COVID-19 has affected almost 180 million people globally, with the death of about 5 million persons, as of November 16, 2021. The disease presents with a plethora of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary symptoms of varying severity. After an exhaustive review of the literature, we found no data on the mild and moderate COVID-19 disease phenotypes in Northern Nigeria. Our objective is to describe the clinical characteristics of non-severe COVID -19 disease phenotypes in Kano State. Methods:

Nelson Frazão and Isabel Gordo

Social networks can influence the ecology of gut bacteria shaping the species composition of the gut microbiome. Gut commensals evolve and adapt at a fast pace when colonizing healthy hosts. Here, we aimed at assessing the impact of the host social regime on bacterial evolution in the mammalian gut. Using an in vivo experimental evolution approach, we investigated how the pattern of genetic adaptation of Escherichia coli colonizing the mouse gut is influenced by host-to-host bacterial transmissi

Mizpha C Fernander, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro NC; Kelyah Spurgeon, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro NC; Jada Graves, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro NC; Wynter Guess, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro NC; Chanell Mangum, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro NC; Jordan Miller, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro NC; Joseph L Graves, PhD, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro NC; Misty Thomas,

Sustaining life on extended missions in space is a priority for NASA. Space travelers’ immune system undergoes dysregulation, causing susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Decreased saliva flow and low bone density increase infections by dental caries and plaque causing Streptococcus microorganism. NASA intends to switch to silver into PWD on the ISS. S. mutans are well studied on earth; however it’s not studied on extended space exploration. This research study aims to examine the evolut

Daniela Rodrigues, CIAS – Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal & Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Aristides M. Machado-Rodrigues, High School of Education, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Viseu, Portugal; Helena Nogueira, CIAS – Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Augusta Gama, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Port

We test the hypothesis that exposure to stressful events at different ages in early life is related to children’s current weight, height, and body mass index (BMI), even after controlling for family socioeconomic status and for child characteristics. Data from 8430 Portuguese children (3367 exposed to at least one stressful event during their lifetime; 50.2% males; 7.21±1.85 years) were included in the analysis. Boys and girls who experienced a stressful event had significantly lower weight and

Mona Joly, WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Berlin; Daniel Nettle, Newcastle University, Newcasle-upon-Tyne; Jan Paul Heisig, WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Berlin

Within affluent societies, socioeconomic disparities in health and mortality are large, and substantially driven by differences in behaviours. One explanation could be that disadvantaged people perceive a large part of their mortality risk to be beyond their control, making them less willing to look after their health. We hypothesise that the death of close relatives serves as a cue of perceived uncontrollable mortality risk (PUMR). We thus expect the death of close relatives to impact PUMR and

Shauni Doms, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany; Hanna Fokt, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany; Malte Christoph Rühlemann, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany; Cecilia J. Chung, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany; Axel Künstner, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Saleh Ibrahim, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Andre Franke, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany; Leslie M. Turner, Milner Centre for Evolution, Bath, UK; J

Determining the forces that shape diversity in host-associated bacterial communities is critical to understanding the evolution and maintenance of metaorganisms. To gain deeper understanding of the role of host genetics in shaping gut microbial traits, we employed a powerful genetic mapping approach using inbred lines derived from the hybrid zone of two incipient house mouse species. Further, we uniquely performed our analysis on microbial traits measured at the gut mucosal interface, which is i

Priyanka Tiwari, New York Medical College, New York; Dr. Nasreen Haque, New York Medical College, New York

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a knee overuse injury that is one of the most common causes of knee pain worldwide. Despite evolutionary evidence indicating that the human body has been specialized for long-distance running, PFPS continues to affect multiple populations, including physically active adolescents and adults. This brings into question the lack of resiliency of the patellofemoral joint to extensive forces, despite thousands of years of evolution. Previous studies have shown lo

Nadia Andrea Andreani, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön & Kiel University, Kiel, Germany; Rahul Unni, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön & Kiel University, Kiel, Germany; Marie Vallier, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön & Kiel University, Kiel, Germany; Silke Heinzmann, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany; Daniel Unterweger, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön & Kiel University, Kiel, Germany; John F. Baines, Max Planck Institu

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises disorders characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract and an altered gut microbiome. With the aim to test the hypothesis that disease-mediated changes in the intestinal environment impose different selection pressures on the microbiome, we performed an evolution experiment with Escherichia coli NC101 in a mouse model of IBD to study the adaptation of the gut microbiome to chronic inflammation within a host’s lifetime. Bacteria were allo

Urszula M. Marcinkowska, Jagiellonian University Medical College; Ilona Nenko, Jagiellonian University Medical College

During the COVID-19 pandemic life of women worldwide changed. Among restrictions introduced in all countries around the globe, some had put women’s work-life balance under stress and further increased the anxiety related to the health complications. This study focuses on exploration how women’s reproductive plans changed due to pandemic and whether direct contact with and fear of the virus, living circumstances and family situation had a modifying effect on the pre-pandemic reproductive plans. W

Thais de Souza Oewel, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Anna Carolina Berkenbrock Mendes, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Alexandre Archanjo Ferraro, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Evolutionary Medicine (EM) can help enlighten the complexity of human biology, and aims to better understand diseases and its implications on health. Being a new field of study, there is a challenge to incorporate it into medical school curricula, and to educate students to apply its critical thinking throughout their academic and professional career. This article explains the experience of the first EM course at University of São Paulo Medical School. Educational strategies during the COVID-19

Misty Thomas, Mizpha Fernander, Billal Khaled, Amina Bradley, Paris Parsons, Joseph L. Graves Jr.

Long-term space missions have shown an increased incidence of oral disease in astronauts’ and as a result, are one of the top conditions predicted to impact future missions. Here we evaluated the adaptive response of Streptococcus mutans (etiological agent of dental caries) to simulated microgravity. This organism has been well studied on earth and treatment strategies are more predictable. Despite this, we are unsure how the bacterium will respond to the environmental stressors in space. We use

Joseph Ruffle1, Hugo Azcorra2, Nina Méndez-Domínguez3, Federico Dickinson4, Graciela Valentín4, and Maria Inês Varela-Silva1 1School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK 2 Centro de Investigaciones Silvio Zavala, Universidad Modelo, Merida, Mexico 3 Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de la Peninsula de Yucatan, Mérida, México 4 Departamento de Ecología Humana, Cinvestav, Mérida, México

We analyse biocultural predictors of mode of birth (vaginal versus caesarean delivery), among indigenous and non-indigenous mothers in Yucatan, in 2019. Yucatan reported high caesarean delivery rates (~50.0%) which tend to be associated with negative health consequences later in life (e.g. obesity and non-communicable diseases). The sample was composed of 26,582 mothers. The outcome variable was mode of delivery (vaginal birth vs caesarean), and the predictors included in the analysis were indig

Nima Hosseini, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Bahri Bektashi, University of Zurich; Luana Giacone, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Cynthia Sob, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Christina Hartmann, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Katarina Matthes, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Frank Rühli, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Kaspar Staub, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Nicole Bender, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Obesity is among the main health risk factors worldwide and is discussed in the framework of evolutionary mismatch. The influence of diet and physical activity on body composition is well studied, but the interaction of sex specific associations of specific diet components and physical activity are less well understood. We assessed nutrition, physical activity, socioeconomic variables and body composition in a sample of 431 adults from the Swiss general population, including both sexes (age rang

Anja Furtwängler, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Chris Baumann, University of Tübingen, Germany; Kerttu Majander, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Shevan Wilkin, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Nadja Tomoum, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Frank Rühli, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Adrian V. Jäggi, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Patrick Eppenberger, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Nicole Bender, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Verena J. Schuenemann, University of Zuric

Teaching evolutionary medicine covers different fields, such as genetics, life history theory, or diseases of evolutionary mismatch. This renders it difficult to transmit the connections between the single subtopics to the students. To date there is no specific online teaching tool that can be adapted to different subtopics in this field. We developed a self-explanatory, online educational tool, the Mummy Explorer. With a virtual journey through a paleopathological examination of a mummy, we exp

James J. Smith, Michigan State University, East Lansing David C. S. Filice, Michigan State University, East Lansing Merle K. Heidemann, Michigan State University, East Lansing Joseph J. Riedy, Michigan State University, East Lansing Peter J. White, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Case-based pedagogies, in which students synthesize ideas and concepts across disciplinary boundaries, provide opportunities for teaching excellence. Over the past 18 months, we developed case-based evolutionary medicine teaching resources for biology educators, which are available on our project website (www.evo-ed.org). These case-based materials are framed in the context of Cancer, Mental Health, Addiction, Sleep, and Infectious Disease as viewed through an evolutionary lens. The materials in

Camille Ameline, IGC, Oeiras; Nelson Frazão, IGC, Oeiras; Elsa Seixas, IGC, Oeiras; Isabel Gordo, IGC, Oeiras.

Gut microbiota is hypothesized to be a major driver of evolution in vertebrates. The diversity and evolution of gut microbiota have been shown to influence speciation, development, and immunity in the host. Because the microbial community in the gut is complex, it remains challenging to study the influence of host traits on the diversity and evolution of gut microbiota. The evolutionary dynamics of commensal bacteria during colonization of the gut is of particular interest in the context of immu

Helen Ball, Durham University, Durham, UK; Allison Dixley, Durham University, Durham UK.

A global practice implemented to restrain and pacify infants, swaddling has experienced a popular resurgence in WEIRD societies as a tool to promote infant sleep and suppress crying. While often characterised as a benign practice that replicates the uterine environment for the new-born infant, swaddling exposes the infant’s body to constant mechanical pressure and insulation which contrasts with the flexible living wall of the uterus. The swaddle is a physical barrier separating the infant from

Laura Dabos, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain; Alejandro Couce, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain

KPC-2 is an antibiotic-resistance enzyme well-known for its ability to hydrolyze carbapenems, although it also has activity against other β-lactam. With over 100 allelic variants reported to date, it represents an important case study due to its staggering evolutionary success: described in 2001, went global in less than a decade. Here we used directed evolution to characterize the mutational pathways that lead KPC-2 to extend its activity against ceftazidime, an important β-lactam of the cephal

Kathryn Billane, University of Sheffield Duncan Cameron, University of Sheffield Ellie Harrison, University of Sheffield Michael Brockhurst, University of Manchester

Conjugative plasmids carrying antimicrobial resistance genes play an important role in the widespread antimicrobial resistance crisis. Plasmid persistence in the bacterial community is at odds with their detrimental costs of carriage from an evolutionary fitness perspective, this is known as the ‘plasmid paradox’. Studies have demonstrated genetic mutations can ameliorate costs. There is increasing evidence for plasmid driven manipulation of the expression of genes in their bacterial hosts, and

Ernesto Berríos-Caro, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany; Hildegard Uecker, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany; Hinrich Schulenburg, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany

Bacterial populations undergo several bottlenecks during infection of host populations, imposed by the transmission of pathogens between hosts, an activated host immune response, or the antibiotic treatment employed. Bottlenecks—drastic reductions in bacterial population size—can increase the influence of random effects during bacterial evolution, directly affecting the diversity of resistance alleles. Despite the relevance and presence of bottlenecks in antibiotic resistance evolution, their ef

Lisa Stabryla, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD; Kathryn Johnston, Corning, NY; Nathan Diemler, NETL, Pittsburgh, PA; Vaughn Cooper, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Jill Millstone, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Sarah-Jane Haig, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Leanne Gilbertson, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Jason Kralj, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

The first part of this work explores the evolution of bacterial resistance towards silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). A classic laboratory evolution approach was adopted where Escherichia coli (E. coli) K-12 strains were repeatedly exposed to sub-inhibitory concentrations of AgNPs. Results showed that a hyper-motile E. coli strain evolved resistance to AgNPs and was conferred by a permanent mutation in cusS, a gene encoding a sensory kinase associated with copper and silver ion efflux. This mutation

Ermanda Dekaj, Center for Computational and Stochastic Mathematics, Instituto Superior Tecnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon Portugal Erida Gjini, Center for Computational and Stochastic Mathematics, Instituto Superior Tecnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon Portugal

Modern molecular technologies have revolutionized our understanding of bacterial epidemiology, but reported data across studies and different endemic settings remain under-integrated in common theoretical frameworks. Pneumococcus serotype co-colonization, caused by the polymorphic bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, has been increasingly investigated and reported in recent years. While the global genomic diversity and serotype distribution of S. pneumoniae have been characterized, there is limite

Rita Melo-Miranda, Department of Medical Sciences, Institute for Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro; Ana Sousa, Department of Medical Sciences, Institute for Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro

Aging is accompanied by numerous events, including an increase in inflammation and gut dysbiosis. This contributes to aging by increasing intestinal permeability and inflammation, but how it influences microbiota evolution and pathobiont selection remains unknown. Here we approach this question by comparing microbial evolution in the guts of three sets of mice: young (6-9 weeks old), old (19 months old), and very old (25 months old). Previous studies have described the adaptation of a commensal

Nedjari Zahia Inssaf, Laura Dabos, Alejandro Couce.

The antibiotic resistance enzyme KPC-2 represents a dramatic, contemporary example of evolutionary success, rising to worldwide prevalence in less than a decade since it was first described in the early 2000s. In a companion submission, we used in vitro evolution to characterize the mutational pathways that lead KPC-2 to extend its activity against ceftazidime, an important β-lactam antibiotic of the cephalosporin class. A major result from this study was the existence of independent adaptive pa

Nadratun Chowdhury, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA Mark Wiesner, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Samuel Forry, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA Scott Jackson, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA

Widespread environmental extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) can contribute to the evolution of bacteria and increase the propagation of antibiotic resistance, which is one of the largest current public health issues. The role of environmentally relevant nanoparticles (NPs) in regulating eARG transfer was examined. eARGs extracted from antibiotic-resistant B. subtilis were incubated with non-resistant recipient B. subtilis cells. In the mixture, particle type (either humic acid coa

C. Ryan Campbell, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Noah Simons, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Paul Maurizio, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Joao Batista, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Vasiliki Michopoulos, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Allison Aiello, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA & Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Luis Barreiro, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Jenny Tung, Duke University, Durh

The relationship between social adversity and gene expression has been studied in both observational and experimental contexts, in both humans and other social mammals. This work suggests a consistent relationship between social adversity and gene regulation in the immune system, but the magnitude and directionality of these effects, as well as their sensitivity to the local cellular environment, appear to be more variable. To investigate the potential for a conserved, core signature of social a

Jeffrey Gassen, Baylor University, Waco, TX; Tomasz Nowak, Baylor University, Waco, TX; Alexandra Henderson, Baylor University, Waco, TX; Edward Thum, Baylor University, Waco, TX; Sally Weaver, Waco Family Medicine, Waco, TX; Erich Baker, Baylor University, Waco, TX; Michael Muehlenbein, Baylor University, Waco, TX.

The selection pressures exerted by pathogens have played an important role in shaping the biology and behavior of animals, including humans. Immune systems recognize and respond to cues of infection or damage by coordinating cellular, humoral, and metabolic shifts that promote recovery. Moreover, animals also possess a repertoire of behavioral tools to help combat the threat of pathogens, often referred to as the behavioral immune system. Recently, researchers have begun to examine how cognitive

Ilona Nenko, Jagiellonian University Medical College; Agnieszka Micek, Jagiellonian University Medical College; Katarzyna Kopeć-Godlewska, Jagiellonian University Medical College; Kathrin Stoll, University of British Columbia.

Rising rates of cesarean sections (CS) are a worldwide phenomenon. In Poland, 43 in 100 babies is born by CS which is among the highest rates of CS birth in OECD countries. Fear of childbirth is defined as important predictor for elective CS. However, the factors that impact childbirth fear prior to pregnancy are not well known. We recruited 782 women aged 18 – 35 (mean 24.7, sd = 3.19) who had never been pregnant but wished to have at least one child in the future. Almost one in four women

Edward Thum, Baylor University, Waco, Texas; Kerry Dore, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts; Jeffrey Gassen, Baylor University, Waco, Texas; Vy Nguyen, Baylor University, Waco, Texas; O. Grace Jolley, Baylor University, Waco, Texas; Rebecca Friedel, University of Texas, San Antonio; Victoria Ingalls, University of Texas, San Antonio; Alexandra Holdbrook, University of Texas, San Antonio; Christa Gallagher, Ross University School of Veterinary

Despite concern about environmental protection, travelers often underestimate the contribution they may have to disease transmission to other species, as well as the risk of becoming infected themselves. To better understand environmental attitudes and travel health knowledge and behaviors, surveys of adult tourists were distributed in St. Kitts (n = 1097) and Gibraltar (n = 980), which are both home to wild monkey populations. Even though individuals with more positive environmental attitudes w

Tomasz Nowak, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA Jeffrey Gassen, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA Alexandra Henderson, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA Brooke Morris, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA Edward Thum, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA Sally Weaver, Waco Family Medicine, Waco, Texas, USA Erich Baker, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA Michael Muehlenbein, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA

A coordinated change in immune parameters arises during reproductive events in women, such as pregnancy, to accommodate the needs of the mother and fetus. Immunological changes throughout the menstrual cycle are also common. T helper cells (Th) are a particular part of the adaptive immune response, with Th1/Th2-related cytokines fluctuating across the menstrual cycle. In particular, the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio has been associated with fecundity and fertility. The present research examined relatio

Janne Rozemarijn Buwalda-Smit, University of Groningen, Groningen, NL; Michael G. Elliot, University of Groningen, Groningen, NL.

Microchimerism is perhaps the most mysterious epigenetic phenomenon of pregnancy, where cells of fetal origin establish themselves as permanent or temporary colonies in maternal tissues and vice versa. Although microchimerism has been a subject of interest and study for several decades, little is known about the frequency, distribution and function of these cells throughout the body. We here describe a sensitive way to identify fetal and maternal microchimeric cells in the host’s tissues, with

Kyle S. Wiley, University of California, Los Angeles; Andrew M. Gregg, University of California, Los Angeles; Molly Fox, University of California, Los Angeles; Venu Lagishetty, University of California, Los Angeles; Curt A. Sandman, University of California, Irvine; Jonathan P. Jacobs, University of California, Los Angeles; Laura M. Glynn Chapman University, Orange

The human cooperative breeding strategy is based on the premise that alloparents benefit mother-offspring fitness. However, the biosocial mechanisms by which alloparents confer benefits remains unknown. We investigated a novel hypothesis that contact with alloparents may contribute to seeding a diverse microbiome in infancy. We examined if infant contact with alloparents at birth and within the first three weeks of life were associated with gut microbiome composition assessed at newborn, 2, 6, a

Maria Ford, North Carolina A & T University, USA; Sydney Townsend North Carolina A & T University, USA; Joseph L Graves North Carolina A & T University, USA, Misty Thomas,North Carolina A & T University, USA

Bacteria are continuously interacting with their environment and must quickly respond to changes in a wide range of environmental niches. Therefore, bacteria have evolved two component response systems to help regulate cellular homeostasis, allow them to survive under changing environmental conditions. TCRS are among the best studied genetic elements for environmental acclimation in bacteria but very little is known about their role in adaptations. We aim to understand the role TCRS play in envi

Catherine Kitrinos, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, USA

Over 1 million infants globally experience severe hyperbilirubinemia that is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. However, the causes of this potentially fatal condition are not well understood. In this study, I asked whether biocultural, biogeographical, or geopolitical factors best predict the prevalence of severe hyperbilirubinemia in neonates across 83 countries. I used data on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and malaria prevalence from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluati

A Silva-Caballero, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; HL Ball, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; KL Kramer, Anthropology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, US; RD Greaves, Anthropology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, US; GR Bentley, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK

Since the late 1970s, sleep researchers in WEIRD societies have warned against short sleep quotas among adolescents and their adverse short- and long-term effects on health. We reexamined the Social Jetlag Hypothesis (SJH) among 145 teenagers (aged 11-16, x̄=13.7 ± 1.21) who were: 1) Totonac agriculturalists, 2) Maya agriculturalists, and 3) urbanites from Mexico City, arguing that adolescents living in “traditional,” non-industrial environments will more closely fulfil their “biological/natural

Renuka Ananth Kalyan Kadali, Harnett Health System and Campbell University, Lillington, NC, USA; Alok Arora, Advocate Aurora Health, Marinette, WI, USA; Ravali Janagama, Kidzcare Pediatrics, Sanford, NC, USA; Viswanath Gajula, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA

Abstract Background: The safety of COVID-19 messenger RNA vaccines in breastfeeding mothers has not been studied widely and following the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for COVID 19 vaccination for breastfeeding mothers, we need evidence about its safety and effectiveness including any potential risks. Phase 3 clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines currently used in the United States d

Virginia J. Vitzthum, Indiana University; Amanda A. Shea, Clue by Biowink GmbH, Berlin; Jonathan Thornburg, Indiana University; Fiorella Wever, University of Amsterdam; Georgina Denis, Clue by Biowink GmbH, Berlin; Cecile Ventola, Clue by Biowink GmbH, Berlin.

Menstrual bleeding is the most easily recognized and widely used biomarker of human female reproductive functioning. However, periods in healthy women are not necessarily preceded or followed by ovulation. Compared to other primates, menses in humans is typically copious. Menses duration varies more than two-fold across human populations, and burdensome heavy bleeding occurs in perhaps a third of women in high income countries. Concerns that COVID infection and/or vaccination may change menstrua

Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland; Judyta Nowak-Kornicka, University of Wrocław, Wrocław Poland; Bogusław Pawłowski, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.

The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) proposes that high testosterone levels (T), necessary for the development of masculine traits, may also entail a cost related to the immunosuppressive properties of T. The limited studies on the relationship between oxidative stress and masculinity in men have shown mixed results. However, increased oxidative stress may result from the pro-oxidative properties of testosterone but also from the lowered antioxidant defense. Thus, the aim of this stud

Nuzhat Choudhury, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; Gillian R Bentley, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; Dimitrios Vallis, Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; Malay Kanti Mridha, Centre for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant, School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Md. Mokbul Hossain, Centre for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant, School of Public Health

While nutrition is essential for ensuring adequate child growth, a primary determinant of height may lie in relative social position (RSP) within hierarchical human societies. Explanatory mechanisms point to dominance effects exerted through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (stress) axis. Child growth and relative final adult height may be adaptively mediated through complex social pathways in addition to just nutrition. To assess this perspective, we used data from 35,106 mother-child (<5 yea

Judyta Nowak-Kornicka, University of Wroclaw, Poland; Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz, University of Wroclaw, Poland; Bogusław Pawłowski, University of Wroclaw, Poland.

Body adiposity might be a cue of various components of biological condition, including health and immunity. However, adipose tissue differs in terms of their metabolic activity. As such visceral fat (VAT) might be a better indicator of biological condition than markers of total adiposity such as BMI. This study try to verify if VAT is a better predictor of immunity and health than BMI and also if these relationships are stronger in women. 81 healthy non-obese men (aged 30-44) and 163 women (aged

Sara Melo-Dias, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Miguel Cabral, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Andreia Furtado, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Sara Souto-Miranda, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Catarina Almeida, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Alda Marques, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Ana Sousa, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is the most cost-effective therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but not all patients are responsive. The reasons behind this and the role of the airway microbiota in PR effectiveness are currently unknown. Here, we explored the effects of PR on oral microbiota and inflammatory markers and the associations of observed changes with responsiveness to PR. 456 saliva samples and data on exercise capacity, dyspnoea, and health-related quality of lif

Hanson Park, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; Sunyoung Pak, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.

Objectives In regard to the social competition hypothesis, depression is viewed as an involuntary defeat strategy. A previous study has demonstrated that adaptation in microenvironments can result in a wide range of behavioural patterns including defense activation disorders. Using a simulation model with evolutionary ecological agents, we explore how the fitness of various defence activation traits has changed over time in different environments with high and low social mobility. Method The Ev

Cinthia Alves-Barroco1,2, Patrícia H. Brito1,2,3*, Alexandra R. Fernandes1,2* 1. Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit (UCIBIO), Dept. Ciências da Vida, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Portugal 2. i4HB, Associate Laboratory - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal 3. NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal *Corresponding author: phbrito@fct.unl.pt (PHB), ma.fernandes@f

Streptococcus dysgalactiae (SD) is a gram-positive bacterium capable of infecting both humans and animals and causing a wide range of invasive and non-invasive infections. With two subspecies, the taxonomic status of SD remains controversial. Subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is an important human pathogen, while subspecies dysgalactiae (SDSD), the cause of bovine mastitis and infectious arthritis, has been considered an emerging zoonotic pathogen. Adaptation of SDSD to the different hosts is still

Zaneta Thayer, Dartmouth College, Hanover; Aditi Gupta, Dartmouth College, Hanover; Emily Lu, Dartmouth College, Hanover

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis suggests maternal stress can adversely impact fetal health and development; yet, the impacts of fertility-related stress on maternal and fetal health remain poorly understood. As a first step toward understanding the potential importance of infertility-related stress to offspring development, we evaluated the relationship between fertility-related stressors, perceived stress, and depression symptoms among individuals (n = 290) consider

Alex Dornburg, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte; Stephen Gaughran, Princeton University, Princeton; Hayley B. Hassler, Yale University, New Haven; J. Nicholas Fisk, Yale University, New Haven; Mofeed Nagib, Yale University, New Haven; Yinfei Wu, Yale University, New Haven; Jaiveer Singh, Yale University, New Haven; Yaning Wang, Yale University, New Haven; Zheng Wang, Yale University, New Haven; Alison P. Galvani, Yale University, New Haven; Jeffrey P. Townsend, Yale Universi

COVID-19 is the third major zoonotic disease of the past two decades resulting from spillovers of an animal coronavirus to humans. How the virus evolved proximate to zoonosis is crucial knowledge to aid in the prevention and suppression of future zoonoses. However, key genomic changes in SARS-CoV-2 that may have enabled human infection and transmission remain unclear. Here we test competing hypotheses regarding adaptive evolution during the zoonosis of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 using molecular-e

Michaela Zwyer, Swiss TPH, Switzerland; Liliana Rutaihwa, FIND, Switzerland; Jerry Hella, Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania; Mohamed Sasamalo, Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania; Sebastien Gagneux, Swiss TPH, Switzerland; Daniela Brites, Swiss TPH, Switzerland

Dar es Salaam is a high-endemic tuberculosis (TB) setting in East Africa and has the highest TB notification rate in Tanzania. We investigated the TB epidemic in Dar es Salaam by analyzing 1,082 genomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolated from patients and their clinical data collected between 2013 and 2019. We found a high diversity of Mtb strains circulating in Dar es Salaam. Mtb is thought to have evolved in East Africa, however we found that the epidemic in Dar es Salaam was exclusi

Joao Barroso-Batista, University of Chicago, Chicago; Cary Brandolino, University of Chicago, Chicago; Neha Joshi, University of Chicago, Chicago; Luis Barreiro, University of Chicago, Chicago.

When human populations migrated out of Africa, they encountered markedly different environments, likely resulting in population-specific adaptive events. Substantial evidence supports this hypothesis at the genetic level, with many reported cases of population-specific signatures of natural selection around immunity genes and other genes directly responsive to environmental cues. However, we still know little about the extent to which neutral or adaptive inter-population genetic differences affe

R. Brooks Robey, United States Veterans Administration and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA

Beadle’s original One Gene-One Enzyme Hypothesis has now been supplanted by the widespread recognition that individual gene products can have multiple discrete molecular functions, including both canonical and so-called “moonlighting” functions. Hexokinase 2 (HK2), which is overexpressed in many cancers, is illustrative of this concept. In addition to its canonical ability to catalyze the first committed step of all glucose utilization pathways within the cytosol, physical and functional interac

Alexandria Henderson, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA; Jeffrey Gassen, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA; Tomasz Nowak, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA; Brooke Morris, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA; Edward Thum, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA; Sally Weaver, Waco Family Medicine, Waco, Texas, USA; Erich Baker, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA; Michael Muehlenbein, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA.

Higher risk score for COVID-19 is associated with lower perceived likelihood of infection. This is explained through unrealistic optimism, a phenomenon that can provide short-term psychological benefits to individuals at high risk of illness. Chronic conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, are shown to increase a person’s risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Autoimmune diseases are often treated with immunosuppressive medication, some of which have been shown to impact seroconversion rates n

Kevin Lozo, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Athena Aktipis, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ; Joe Alcock, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Pain is among the most common reasons a patient seeks medical care. However, pain itself is not always problematic. Responding to painful stimuli protects an organism from physical harm. Here we suggest another function: pain protects organisms from pathogens. Protection from infection is orchestrated by local effects of pain neuron activation, regulation of pain at the CNS, and subjective experience of pain. Mechanisms underlying the regulation of pain and immunity overlap considerably, suggest

Sada M. Boyd, Portia Mira, Nghi Nguyen, Brian Bui, Pamela Yeh

Antibiotic resistance is a growing worldwide public health concern. To combat this issue there is a need for new antimicrobials, however development has been almost non-existent in the last 30 years. Copper has received particular attention due to its inherent antibacterial properties. Another alternative is to repurpose already available drugs. Disulfiram, originally purposed as an Antabuse treatment has been shown to have antibacterial properties in the presence of copper. Here we evaluate the

Jeffrey P. Townsend, Yale University, New Haven; Hayley B. Hassler, Yale University, New Haven; Zheng Wang, Yale University, New Haven; Sayaka Miura, Temple University, Philadelphia; Jaiveer Singh, Yale College, New Haven, Sudhir Kumar, Temple University, Philadelphia; Nancy H. Ruddle, Yale University, New Haven; Alison P. Galvani, Yale University, New Haven; Alex Dornburg, University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

The durability of immunity and time to likely reinfection was among the most consequential unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. For much of the pandemic, there was limited to no direct data on SARS-CoV-2 long-term immune responses and reinfection. We performed a comparative evolutionary analysis of antibody optical density levels following infection by SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-NL63 coronaviruses to estimate times to reinfection by SARS-CoV-2. Paired with coronavirus rei

Angelle Bradford, Tulane University School of Medicine

What are the evolutionary benefits of CVD, if there are any at all? In what ways do biomedical researchers and respective research overlook the importance of integrating evolutionary principles and approaches in order to explain and treat cardiovascular disease? I will present a review of the literature and gaps that substantiate and challenge our assumptions around cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

Patricia C. Lopes, Chapman University, CA, USA

The social environment can affect animal physiology, with important health implications. For example, in humans, social isolation is a risk factor for worsened health outcomes. Zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, undergoing an immune challenge and presented with females show reduced behavioral symptoms of sickness, indicating that the social environment influences how these birds respond to an infection. How the social environment changes brain responses to an infection is not known. Using RNA-s