Wesley R. Elsberry
Posts: 4991
Joined: May 2002
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| Quote (dvunkannon @ Jan. 11 2011,07:01) | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110106145311.htm
A very cool result, and challenge to the "tiny island of function in a sea of useless" argument for ID.
De novo gene sequences code for completely non-natural proteins (apparently the sequences were chosen based on some probability that they would fold). Insert these sequences into bacteria with some necessary genes knocked out, and the novel proteins substitute for the lacking natural proteins.
So the space of functional proteins is larger than the space of proteins sampled so far by evolution. Perhaps far larger, since this was pretty easy to do.
Our friend at UD, KF-san, often argues that micro-evolution can climb the slope of the island, but that finding the island in the first place is the problem (especially for abiogenesis). He appears to be mistaken. There are lots of islands, but evolution is very conservative. Perhaps more conservative than BarryA! |
IIRC, some of Kirk Durston's argumentation rested on the assumption that what protein families living things had discovered comprised all the functional proteins possible. This seems a nice rebuttal of that.
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"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." - Dorothy Parker
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