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Author Topic:   Evolution's new wrinkle: Proteins with cruise control provide new perspective
Shield
Member (Idle past 2861 days)
Posts: 482
Joined: 01-29-2008


Message 1 of 2 (488569)
11-13-2008 3:54 AM


Princeton Top News Stories Archives writes:
A team of Princeton University scientists has discovered that chains of proteins found in most living organisms act like adaptive machines, possessing the ability to control their own evolution.
The research, which appears to offer evidence of a hidden mechanism guiding the way biological organisms respond to the forces of natural selection, provides a new perspective on evolution, the scientists said.
The researchers -- Raj Chakrabarti, Herschel Rabitz, Stacey Springs and George McLendon -- made the discovery while carrying out experiments on proteins constituting the electron transport chain (ETC), a biochemical network essential for metabolism. A mathematical analysis of the experiments showed that the proteins themselves acted to correct any imbalance imposed on them through artificial mutations and restored the chain to working order.
"The discovery answers an age-old question that has puzzled biologists since the time of Darwin: How can organisms be so exquisitely complex, if evolution is completely random, operating like a 'blind watchmaker'?" said Chakrabarti, an associate research scholar in the Department of Chemistry at Princeton. "Our new theory extends Darwin's model, demonstrating how organisms can subtly direct aspects of their own evolution to create order out of randomness."
Princeton Scientists Discover Proteins that Control Evolution writes:
Let's get a few possible misconceptions out of the way first. The Princeton group, composed of researchers Raj Chakrabarti, Herschel Rabitz, Stacey Springs and George McLendon, haven't proven that intelligent design is a valid scientific theory. Nor are they claiming that DNA is making a set of conscious decisions about growing extra legs or wings (though that would admittedly be cool).
What they are saying is that evolution is not entirely random, as Darwin believed. The researchers were tinkering with a set of proteins forming the electron transport chain, a system that regulates energy use in cells. They discovered that the proteins were correcting any imbalance imposed on them through artificial mutations, constantly restoring the chain to working order. A mathematical analysis revealed that these proteins seem to make these minute corrections all the time, steering organisms toward evolutionary changes that make the creature fitter.
I am already foreseeing a whole new category of crappy creation/ID arguments.
PZ Myers has something to say:
PZ Myers' Prediction Self-promoting Hype writes:
If true, this would be an extremely remarkable claim. An amazing claim. Something that would make all biologists sit up and take notice. Unfortunately, the puff piece writer and the scientists involved seem incapable of actually explaining what they found, which makes me extremely suspicious
Edited by rbp, : No reason given.
Edited by rbp, : No reason given.
Edited by Admin, : Make URL's in quote headings into active links.

Admin
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Message 2 of 2 (488579)
11-13-2008 8:34 AM


Thread copied to the Evolution's new wrinkle: Proteins with cruise control provide new perspective thread in the Creation/Evolution In The News forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

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