Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:37:00
Bacteria Torture Tests Demonstrate Evolution
SHHHHHHH! No one tell this to the Republican candidates.
Over time, the bacteria have evolved. They are twice as large as their common ancestor. They are also quicker to reproduce, dividing 70 percent faster.
The bacteria have also evolved solutions to the torture tests devised by Dr. Lenski. He created 12 identical lines of E. coli and then fed them short rations of glucose. Out of sugar by afternoon, most would die; Dr. Lenski transfered the few survivors to a fresh flask.
The bacteria evolved quickly, reproducing faster. Evolution tended to follow the same path in the 12 different sets of bacteria.
Dr. Lenski’s work with captive bacteria has also provided us with more information about antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistant bacteria have become a serious problem around the world; the costs of new anti-biotics have skyrocketed in a sort of pharmaceutical arms race.
In a 1998 paper, Dr. Lenski demonstrated that once bacteria have adapted to antibiotics, the resistance gene remains in the population long after the antibiotics are withdrawn. Simply suspending the use of antibiotics becomes a less effective tool over time.
Other scientists have been working in this area as well. Bacteria adapted to 68 degree cold were forced to adapt to 104 degree heat. E. coli are forced to adapt to a new diet of glycerol (found in soap). As the organisms adapt, scientists learn more about how evolution works.
Sweet.
Posted by JimK at 11:37 PM on July 01, 2007
Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email to a friend |
Categories: News, Politics, Technobabble (Technology)
Tags:
Technorati: evolution science politics
Comments:
#2 Posted by JimK 
on 07/02 at 02:49 AM -
For now. As soon as the robots take over, they’ll find faster, better ways to torture them and then one day the bacteria creatures will rise up against the machines.
We’ll be the batteries.
#3 Posted by Drumwaster on 07/02 at 11:51 AM -
Speak for yourself, pal. I’m buying more Lysol.
OT: For some reason, this site’s “auto-logon” doesn’t seem to work for me (especially since the HDD swap-over). I have to log in every time I want to leave a comment…
Any suggestions? I’m using Firefox 2.0.0.4 if that’s any help…
#4 Posted by JimK on 07/02 at 02:42 PM -
drum, it might be a cookie thing. Wipe out any cookies for this domain name, then re-log in. I was having the same issue.
I think that one of the recent upgrades I did was to cookie functions for logins. Killing them all and starting over should help.
#5 Posted by Helo on 07/02 at 06:26 PM -
I hate bacteria. I had a staph infection and now I still have the risidual pimples and boils from it. Those little bacterial fuckers never go away.
RSS (Subscribe)
Tip jars (Donate today!)
#1 Posted by Buzzion
on 07/02 at 12:59 AM -
Unfortunately jim, you won’t get anyone to argue against that, since they are forced to concede that type of evolution. They’ll still argue that the bacteria aren’t turning into multicelled organisms and such.