Category Archives: Experimental Evolution
Evolutionary Trade Off: A solution to anti-biotic resistance?
We all have heard of a saying, “That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” by Friedrich Nietzsche. This is especially true in case of bacteria, organisms that are found everywhere ranging from “on us” to “inside us”. these microscopic … Continue reading
Posted in Experimental Evolution, Uncategorized
Tagged adaptation, Antibiotic resistance, antibiotics, Bacteria, collateral senitivity, Drug, Epigenetics, Evolution, Experimental Evolution, extinction, Genetics, Hypersensitivity, Infection, microbe, Microbiology, multidrug, phage, population, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Resistance, science, sensitivity, streptomycin, Vaccination, virulence
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Fight or flight, bacterial edition: adapting your defense to suit your foe
Imagine you were surrounded by enemies, and had a choice of two defenses. You could send out a targeted laser to kill each bad guy, or instead, put in a bit more effort to form a clever disguise so that … Continue reading
To be or not to be? The question of virulence as posed by polio
In a previous post we discussed the identity of polio. If you haven’t yet read it and aren’t well-versed in who or what polio is, might I recommend a brief glance? If you’re already up to date on cVDPVs, let’s … Continue reading
Posted in Experimental Evolution
Tagged Experimental Evolution, Polio, vaccinations, virulence
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Want to make a new species? Put a little pressure on it…
A fascinating event that can occur in evolution is speciation; mutations bringing about new species that are significantly different to their ancestor. But how does this happen, what causes it, and how can we watch it happen? Observing the processes … Continue reading
Posted in Experimental Evolution
Tagged allopatry, Bacteriophage, E. Coli, Escherichia coli, Evolution, λ, lambda, speciation, sympatry
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Hybrids: a fast track to evolution?
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is, in my opinion, the most awe-inspiring of scientific theories. Sure, it doesn’t quite have the indispensable quality of gravitational theory in literally holding us to the Earth… But, to look around at … Continue reading
CANCER’S NEXT TOP MODEL?
As a scientist, I want to find a treatment for cancer. To do this I need to perform many experiments testing my new therapy on cancer. I can’t just use human patients, they’re too annoying. How about cancer cells from … Continue reading
Finding Sequels
I’ve always, always, always loved animals. As a kid, I wanted to be a vet (“also an actor,” thought this 30-something genetics student, “kids are weird”). My Mum worked at a Safari Park in the UK, which didn’t help, as … Continue reading
Posted in Experimental Evolution, Uncategorized
Tagged Algae, Climate Change, coral, Coral Polyp, coral reef, ecology, Evolution, fun, research, science, symbiosis
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The life of a pea aphid, and why you don’t want to be him
Aphids live pretty simple lives, suck up some plant juices, find a mate, and make some babies…sounds quite chilled, right? Wrong. In fact, the life of a pea aphid or Acyrthosiphon pisum, is a constant battle against predators and parasites. In … Continue reading
Posted in Experimental Evolution
Tagged aphids, Evolution, Natural Selection, parasites, parasitoid wasps, science, science fiction
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