[Red Badger]

Postdoctoral Fellow Betül Kaçar and Associate Professor Eric Gaucher are watching evolution in action resurrecting a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

Using a process called paleo-experimental evolution, Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. This bacterium has now been growing for more than 1,000 generations, giving the scientists a front row seat to observe evolution in action. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

What are they thinking?..............

[Red Badger]

Ping!..............

[ontap]

Wow!!! Maybe it'll turn into a tyrannosaurus Rex!!!

[tumblindice]

"I'd like to be the first to welcome back our reptilian and insect overlords." Kent Brrrrrockman

[Darksheare]

Sci-Fi Nightmare may become reality ping.

[massmike]

Scientists place 500-million-year-old gene....

"Criswell predicts..."

"...a Helen Thomas picture within 10 posts....."

[oh8eleven]

Using a process called paleo-experimental evolution ...
Somehow, I get the feeling this won't end well.

[allmendream]

They were probably thinking they could learn a lot from it. And they did.

The ancient gene codes for a protein that apparently works fine - once the genes for the proteins it binds to evolved (de-evolved?) to better interact with it.

It is a very interesting finding. Not entirely unexpected -genes for proteins that interact often evolve in parallel, with a change in one that confers a temporary advantage necessitating a change in the other to better interact.

The basic premise of a sci-fi/horror movie is....

humans mess with nature
disaster results.

Like a Homer Simpson philosophy of “Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.”

[Noob1999]

Fascinating,

But, but as our planet is on a death spiral due to manmade CO2, the evolution of a 500 million gene in todays atmosphere can’t prove anything.

We’re all going to die!!!!

[Monkey Face]

WHAT?????

[Oberon]

Using a process called paleo-experimental evolution, Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli(E. coli) bacteria. This bacterium has now been growing for more than 1,000 generations, giving the scientists a front row seat to observe evolution in action.

Considering they intervened to place the gene in the bacteria, I'd say what they're observing is actually intelligent design in action. 'Evolution' had already taken that gene out of the game.

[Oberon]

Using a process called paleo-experimental evolution, Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli(E. coli) bacteria. This bacterium has now been growing for more than 1,000 generations, giving the scientists a front row seat to observe evolution in action.

Considering they intervened to place the gene in the bacteria, I'd say what they're observing is actually intelligent design in action. 'Evolution' had already taken that gene out of the game.

[UCANSEE2]

What are they thinking?..............

New Lab Student: "My my. These guys are complete pigs. I'll show 'em, I'll get all these dishes spotless. Bet I get an "A".

[DManA]

I'm completely confused. What makes this gene ancient? It doesn't exist in any living bacteria today? What exactly did they do in 2008?

In 2008, Kaçar's postdoctoral advisor, Associate Professor of Biology Eric Gaucher, successfully determined the ancient genetic sequence of Elongation Factor-Tu (EF-Tu), an essential protein in E. coli. EFs are one of the most abundant proteins in bacteria, found in all known cellular life and required for bacteria to survive. That vital role made it a perfect protein for the scientists to answer questions about evolution.

[Sir Napsalot]

This is self-adverting and self-promotion by the scientists involved and the GIT institute. Whatever new process name they call it, this is not new.

The only exciting news is that the old gene coded protein is still recognizable, and performed with relatively similar function.

Consider the life span of an E. coli generation, in a lab optimal condition, they replicate in about 20 min, the mutation rate is much accerlerated and accumulated over the 500 million year span.

[KC_Lion]

Yeah, but the scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should!

[Dr. Thorne]

Cue "Don't Fear The Reaper"

[Cementjungle]

"Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli(E. coli) bacteria. This bacterium has now been growing for more than 1,000 generations"

What could possibly go wrong?

[workerbee]

Dr. Ian Malcolm: I’ll tell you the problem with the scientific power you’re using here: it didn’t require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done, and you took the next step. You didn’t earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don’t take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you, you’ve patented it, and packaged it, you’ve slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now
[pounds table with fists]
Dr. Ian Malcolm: you’re selling it.
[pounds table again]
Dr. Ian Malcolm: You want to sell it, well...
John Hammond: I don’t think you’re giving us our due credit. Our scientists have done things which nobody’s ever done before...
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.

[Rokurota]

500 million year old gene...a little misleading. The gene was produced recently. It’s a best guess, based on today’s sequences, at what the sequence was 500 million years ago.

[Selene]

“altered lineages actually became healthier than their modern counterpart”

Oh goody. Who is funding this?