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Scientists Resurrect 500-Million-Year-Old Gene Inside Modern Organism
An anonymous reader writes with news that researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have taken a gene from 500-million-year-old bacteria and inserted it into modern E. coli bacteria. They then allowed the bacteria to evolve over the course of a thousand generations to see whether it would resemble its original 'evolutionary trajectory.' From the article:
"After achieving the difficult task of placing the ancient gene in the correct chromosomal order and position in place of the modern gene within E. coli, Kaçar produced eight identical bacterial strains and allowed 'ancient life' to re-evolve. This chimeric bacteria composed of both modern and ancient genes survived, but grew about two times slower than its counterpart composed of only modern genes. 'The altered organism wasn’t as healthy or fit as its modern-day version, at least initially,' said Gaucher, 'and this created a perfect scenario that would allow the altered organism to adapt and become more fit as it accumulated mutations with each passing day.' The growth rate eventually increased and, after the first 500 generations, the scientists sequenced the genomes of all eight lineages to determine how the bacteria adapted. Not only did the fitness levels increase to nearly modern-day levels, but also some of the altered lineages actually became healthier than their modern counterpart."
I was thinking "Cambrian Park."
Or more like Cambrian Petri Dish, in this case, but that's 3 words...
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
>> Resurrect 500-Million-Year-Old Gene Inside Modern Organism
Or Hugh Hefner shtupping one of his models.
Man. It's like these scientists have never even seen a horror movie.
What?! It's evolving...
Congratulations! Your E.Coli evolved into MoreFundingForLenski.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._coli_long-term_evolution_experiment
Hugh Hefner has been doing this for a while.
See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
Damn hypocrites, slicing ancient genes is ok but re-cloning Hitler and put his brain in a great white shark is suddenly over the top!
The world is only 6000 years old.
Sure, first it's all "oooohhhh" and "aaaahhhh", but then there is all the running and screaming....
Don't fear the penguins
...welcome our newly evolved E. Coli masters.
taken a gene from 500-million-year-old bacteria and inserted it into modern E. coli bacteria.
Well that's just rude.