E.Coli adaptation experiment

[Bobblehead]

A researcher started an experiment in 1988 to see if/how e.coli would adapt in a harsh environment:

The bacteria are growth-constrained by low levels of glucose, and most lines have evolved so that they burn through the glucose as quickly as possible, then wait for the next daily infusion. About 33,000 generations in, however, one line of bacteria did something else entirely: it began to digest the large amounts of citrate present in the media. This is more startling than it sounds, as E. coli is sometimes defined by its inability to metabolize citrate.

Because they have bee freezing specimens every 500 generations, they have been able to trace the history of when these changes occurred, and are beginning to remap the genomes to see if they can figure out the specific mechanisms.

Pretty interesting stuff.
http://arstechnica.com/journals/scie...acteria-evolve

[Dan02]

fata!
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=59213

[Bobblehead]

Busted!

Geez, you miss a few hours, you miss a lot!

How can you tell it is off-season?
When The Off Topic forum has more viewers than the main forum!

[Dan02]

and yes it is crazy interesting stuff.