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John Tower, professor of biological sciences at USC Dornsife, published his idea on May 16 in the journal Frontiers in Aging might have discovered a new rule of biology focusing on evolution and aging that questions the traditional belief that most living organisms favor stability over instability, as stability is thought to demand less energy and fewer resources.

If you want to know recent biology news like A New Rule of Biology Focusing on Evolution and Aging, then read here: Why Fasting is Not Always Good for Your Health, Specific Genomic Changes in the Monkeypox Virus Associated with Their Transmissibility, Better View of Living Bacteria with New Mid-Infrared Nanoscopy.

A New Rule of Biology Focusing on Evolution and Aging:

1. Tower’s rule, focuses on instability, specifically a concept called “selectively advantageous instability” (SAI), where some volatility in biological components, like proteins and genetic material, benefits cells.
2. Tower’s rule challenges the long-held belief that most living organisms prefer stability over instability because stability demands less energy and fewer resources. For example, hexagons frequently appear in nature, such as in honeycombs and insect eyes, because they are stable and require minimal material to cover a surface.
3. Tower posits that SAI is fundamental to biology. “Even the simplest cells contain proteases and nucleases, regularly degrading and replacing their proteins and RNAs, indicating that SAI is essential for life,” he explains.

How The New Rule of Biology Focusing on Evolution:

1. He also asserts that SAI is crucial to evolution.
2. As cells carry out their functions, building and degrading various unstable components, they exist in one of two states: one with the unstable component present and one without it.
3. Natural selection may operate differently on the two cell states. “This can lead to the maintenance of both a normal gene and a gene mutation within the same cell population if the normal gene is advantageous in one state and the mutation is advantageous in the other,” he says. This genetic diversity enhances the adaptability of cells and organisms.

Watch The Evolution Here

How The New Rule of Biology Focusing on Aging:

1. SAI may also be a key factor in aging and more
2. Selectively advantageous instability might contribute to aging. Creating and replacing unstable components within cells consumes materials and energy, and breaking them down requires additional energy.
3. Moreover, since SAI creates two potential states for a cell, allowing normal and mutated genes to coexist, if the mutated gene is harmful, this may contribute to aging, Tower suggests.

Implications of New Rule:

1. Beyond evolution and aging, SAI has other significant implications.
2. “Science has been increasingly interested in concepts like chaos theory, criticality, Turing patterns, and ‘cellular consciousness,'” Tower says. “Research indicates that SAI plays a crucial role in producing these phenomena.”
3. Due to its widespread presence in biology and its extensive implications, SAI may represent a new rule of biology, he concludes.

The new rule of biology focusing on evolution and aging suggests that biological instability, while requiring more energy, provides significant adaptive advantages by maintaining genetic diversity and enhancing cellular resilience.

FAQ:

A recent article explores the definition of Darwinism and its connections between non-scientific applications and the scientific theory of evolution. The authors proposed a unified approach to Darwinism’s varieties while some argue Darwinism should be restricted to its scientific aspects, others advocate for completely discarding the term. They suggest a comprehensive framework to reconcile these different interpretations of Darwinism.

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Impacts of Darwin’s Ideas:

Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species” in 1859 as a biological treatise. Over the past 150 years, however, his ideas have influenced a wide array of fields, prompting scientists and scholars to develop “evolutionary approaches” in areas such as economics, engineering, psychology, and history.

Misuse of Darwin’s Theories:

Darwin’s theories have been used (and misused) to challenge religious concepts of human origins and their relationship to other species, to justify state-sponsored eugenics, and to advocate for laissez-faire economic policies.

Watch The Video On Darwin Here

A Unified Approach to Darwinism’s Varieties:

• The authors propose a unified account of the diverse interpretations of Darwinism such as explanation, logic, and worldview.
• They demonstrate how Darwin’s theories have established a ‘logic’ or style of reasoning about phenomena, as well as various ethically and politically charged ‘worldviews.’
• They argue that the full meaning of Darwinism and its evolution over time can only be understood through the interplay of these dimensions.
• Their account of this thick conception of Darwinism relies on Darwinism as an explanatory framework, a logic or methodology, and a worldview or ideology.
• The authors conclude that limiting Darwinism to a strictly scientific context is not ideal, emphasizing that theoretical elements play a crucial role in shaping scientific inquiry into natural phenomena.
• They acknowledge that while the “thick” conception of Darwinism complicates its analysis, it is essential to capture the full richness and influence of Darwinism over the past 150 years.

A unified approach to varieties of Darwinism emphasizes the importance of integrating its scientific, ethical, and political dimensions. This comprehensive perspective acknowledges the complexity and richness of Darwinism’s influence over the past century and a half, ensuring a deeper and more accurate understanding of its multifaceted legacy.

FAQ on A Unified Approach to Darwinism’s Varieties:

4200 Km transatlantic flight of the Painted Lady butterfly mapped by the researchers because in October 2013, Gerard Talavera, a researcher from the Botanical Institute of Barcelona at CSIC, made a remarkable discovery of Painted Lady Butterflies on the Atlantic beaches of French Guiana— a species not commonly found in South America. This unexpected sighting led to an international study to trace the origin of these butterflies.

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How Transatlantic Flight of The Painted Lady Butterfly Mapped

• First, the research team reconstructed wind trajectories for the period leading up to the arrival of these butterflies in October 2013. They discovered exceptionally favorable wind conditions that could support a transatlantic crossing from western Africa, suggesting that these butterflies might have flown across the entire ocean.
• By sequencing the genomes of these butterflies and comparing them to global populations, the researchers found a closer genetic relatedness to African and European populations. This finding ruled out the possibility of the butterflies originating from North America, supporting the hypothesis of an oceanic journey.
• The researchers used an innovative combination of next-generation molecular techniques. They sequenced the DNA of pollen grains carried by the butterflies, identifying two plant species that only grow in tropical Africa. This indicated that the butterflies had fed on African flowers before their transatlantic journey.
• Additionally, they analyzed hydrogen and strontium isotopes in the butterflies’ wings, which act as a “fingerprint” of their region of origin. By combining isotope data with a model of habitat suitability for larval growth, they identified potential natal origins in western Europe, including France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, or Portugal.
• The butterflies could only complete this flight by alternating between energy-intensive active flight and wind-assisted gliding. Without the wind, the butterflies could have flown a maximum of 780 km before depleting their energy reserves.
• The researchers highlighted the Saharan air layer as a significant aerial route for dispersion. These wind currents, which transport large amounts of Saharan dust from Africa to America and fertilize the Amazon, are now shown to be capable of carrying living organisms as well.
• This discovery suggests that natural aerial corridors connecting continents may exist, potentially facilitating the dispersal of species on a much larger scale than previously imagined.

Watch The Painted Lady Butterfly Here

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We all celebrate Father’s Day with flowers, cards, and lots of gifts. But biology lovers may see this day a little differently. They may show their respects to the fathers of different branches of biology and can initiate a new term Father’s Day in Biology.

Father’s Day in Biology: Contributions of “Father of Biology”

The title “Father of Biology” is often attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. His extensive work in the study of living organisms laid the groundwork for the biological sciences.

Aristotle’s Approach to Biology

Aristotle (384–322 BC) was not just a philosopher but also a keen observer of the natural world. His approach to biology was based on systematic observation and classification. He believed that to understand life, one must study the structure, function, and behavior of organisms in detail.

1. Systematic Observation: Aristotle meticulously observed various animals and plants, documenting their anatomy, reproduction, and habitats. His observations were detailed and often surprisingly accurate, considering the limited tools available at the time.
2. Classification: One of Aristotle’s significant contributions was his classification system. He grouped animals based on their characteristics, such as the presence of blood (which he referred to as “red-blooded” or “bloodless”), their modes of reproduction, and their habitats. This early attempt at classification influenced later systems used by scientists.

Father’s Day in Biology: Fathers of Different Branches of Biology

The study of biology encompasses a vast array of sub-disciplines, each focusing on different aspects of life and living organisms. Over the centuries, several pioneering scientists have laid the groundwork for these branches, earning them the title of “father” in their respective fields.

Aristotle’s title as the “Father of Biology” is well-deserved, considering his pioneering contributions to the field. His systematic observations, classification systems, and philosophical approaches laid the groundwork for various branches of biology. His influence on subsequent generations of scientists and his enduring legacy in biological sciences underscore his pivotal role in the history of biology. So BiologyMam.Com is dedicating this Father’s Day in Biology to the “Father of Biology”.

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Scientists map how Pseudomonas aeruginosa evolved to become epidemic because P. aeruginosa is responsible for over 500,000 deaths annually, with over 300,000 linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Those particularly susceptible include individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and non-CF bronchiectasis.

a recent study has discovered that Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an environmental bacterium known for causing severe multidrug-resistant infections, especially in individuals with preexisting lung conditions, has evolved rapidly and spread worldwide over the past 200 years due to changes in human behavior.

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How Pseudomonas aeruginosa Evolved to Become Epidemic:

• P. aeruginosa is responsible for over 500,000 deaths annually, with over 300,000 linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Those particularly susceptible include individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and non-CF bronchiectasis.
• The evolutionary journey of P. aeruginosa from an environmental organism to a specialized human pathogen was previously unclear. To explore this, an international research team led by scientists from the University of Cambridge analyzed DNA data from nearly 10,000 samples from infected individuals, animals, and various environments globally. Their findings are published in Science.
• By mapping the data, the researchers created phylogenetic trees, which are essentially ‘family trees’ that depict the relationships between the bacterial samples. Remarkably, they discovered that nearly 70% of infections are caused by just 21 genetic clones, or ‘branches’ of the family tree, which have rapidly evolved by acquiring new genes from neighboring bacteria and then spread globally over the past two centuries. This spread is likely due to increased population density, air pollution making lungs more vulnerable, and more opportunities for infection transmission.
• These epidemic clones have a preference for infecting specific types of patients, with some targeting CF patients and others non-CF individuals. The bacteria exploit a previously unknown immune defect in CF patients, allowing them to survive within macrophages. Macrophages are cells that ingest and break down invading organisms to prevent infection. However, in CF patients, a previously unknown flaw in the immune system allows P. aeruginosa to evade destruction after being ingested by macrophages.
• Once the bacteria infect the lungs, they evolve differently to become more specialized for particular lung environments. This results in certain clones being transmissible within CF patients and others within non-CF patients, but almost never between the two groups.

Watch Here The Cystic Fibrosis(CF)

From a clinical perspective, Pseudomonas aeruginosa evolved to become epidemic, this study has provided crucial information about Pseudomonas. The focus has often been on how easily this infection can spread among CF patients, but we have shown that it can also spread alarmingly easily among other patients. This has significant implications for infection control in hospitals, where it’s common for an infected individual to be in an open ward with someone who is very vulnerable.

FAQ:

The largest animals do not possess proportionally larger brains, humans being a notable exception, a new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution has revealed that brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolution trend.

If you want to know recent biology news like Now Brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolution trend, then read here: New one-step method to make multiple edits to a cell’s genome,  Specific Genomic Changes in the Monkeypox Virus Associated with Their Transmissibility, Better View of Living Bacteria with New Mid-Infrared Nanoscopy.

Experiment of Brain and Body Size:

Researchers from the University of Reading and Durham University compiled an extensive dataset of brain and body sizes from around 1,500 species to address longstanding debates about brain size evolution. Larger brains relative to body size are associated with intelligence, social behavior, and behavioral complexity, with humans having evolved particularly large brains.

How The Brain Size Riddle Solved as Humans Exceed Evolution Trend

The research reveals a straightforward association between brain and body size across all mammals, allowing the identification of species that deviate from the norm.

Among these outliers is Homo sapiens, which evolved over 20 times faster than other mammal species, resulting in the large brains characteristic of humans today.

However, humans are not the only species to deviate from this trend.

All mammal groups exhibited rapid changes—both increases and decreases—in brain size.

For instance, bats rapidly reduced their brain size initially, then showed very slow changes in relative brain size, suggesting evolutionary constraints related to flight demands.

Three groups of animals displayed the most significant rapid changes in brain size: primates, rodents, and carnivores. These groups tend to show an increase in relative brain size over time (the “Marsh-Lartet rule”), which is not a universal trend across all mammals as previously believed.

Watch Here The Video of Brain

Why Brain Size is Not Related to Body Size

Dr. Joanna Baker, a co-author from the University of Reading, noted: ‘Our results uncover a mystery. In the largest animals, something prevents brains from growing too large. It remains to be seen if this is because large brains are too costly to maintain. However, similar patterns in birds suggest a general phenomenon—the ‘curious ceiling’ applies to animals with very different biology.'”

Professor Chris Venditti, the study’s lead author from the University of Reading, stated: ‘For over a century, scientists assumed this relationship was linear—meaning brain size increased proportionally with body size. We now know this is not true. The relationship between brain and body size forms a curve, indicating very large animals have smaller brains than expected.’ So the brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolution trend.

FAQ:

Genome editing is a widely adopted technology for modifying DNA in cells, enabling scientists to study diseases in the lab and develop therapies that repair disease-causing mutations. However, current methods allow for editing cells at only one location at a time. So scientists have developed the New one-step method to make multiple edits to a cell’s genome.

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What are Retrons

Shipman is a pioneer in the emerging field of retrons, molecular components from a bacterial immune system that can produce large quantities of DNA. In 2022, his lab combined retrons with CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to create a system for quick and efficient human cell editing.

New Study of Retrons

In their new study, the researchers sought to overcome the limitation of current genome editing methods. “If you wanted to edit a cell at multiple genome locations that aren’t near each other, the standard approach was to make the modifications sequentially,” explains Alejandro González-Delgado, PhD, one of the study’s first authors and a postdoctoral scholar in Shipman’s lab. “This laborious cycle involved making an edit, using the edited cells to introduce another edit, and so on.”

Experiment of Retrons

The team encoded a retron to generate different DNA portions. When delivered to a cell, these engineered retrons—called multitrons—can make multiple edits simultaneously. Another advantage of multitrons is their ability to delete large genome sections. “Multitrons allow us to make sequential deletions, collapsing middle portions of the genome and bringing far-apart ends closer until the entire region is deleted,” Gonzalez-Delgado explains.

Application of New one-step method to make multiple edits to a cell’s genome

• Shipman and his team demonstrated immediate applications for their new method in molecular recording and metabolic engineering.
• Retrons can record molecular events in a cell, providing a detailed log of the cell’s activity and environmental changes.
• Multitrons expand this approach, allowing for recording with greater sensitivity. “Multitrons let us record both very weak and very strong signals simultaneously, broadening the dynamic range of our recordings,” says Gonzalez-Delgado. “We could eventually implement this tool in the gut microbiome to record signals like inflammation.”
• In metabolic engineering, the scientists showed that multitrons could simultaneously edit multiple genes in a metabolic pathway, rapidly increasing the production of a targeted substance.
• They tested their approach on a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, successfully increasing its production threefold.

Watch the video of genome here

Next Aim of Experiment:

“To model complex genetic diseases and eventually find treatments or cures, we need to make many different mutations to cells at once,” says Shipman, also an associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at UC San Francisco and a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator. “Our new approach is a step toward that goal.” This is the aim of the new one-step method to make multiple edits to a cell’s genome.

FAQ:

Mapping the world’s fungi from air samples is a cost-effective means to map the biodiversity. Because only a small portion of nature’s vast diversity, particularly in terms of species richness, is currently known to science. This is especially true for insects and fungi, with millions of species yet to be discovered. Concurrently, the rate of biodiversity loss is accelerating, prompting researchers to urgently identify unknown species and devise conservation strategies.

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Opinion of Researchers

“Air is a real treasure trove for nature research,” says Nerea Abrego, an Academy Research Fellow at the University of Jyvaskyla. “It is full of DNA from plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, mammals, and other organisms.”

Abrego led a study published in Nature, using DNA sequencing to identify fungi from global air samples. This research provided groundbreaking insights into the climatic and evolutionary factors affecting the distribution and seasonal variation of both known and unknown fungi.

“This knowledge is essential not only for understanding where and when different fungal species thrive but also for predicting their fate under ongoing global changes,” says Abrego.

Focus of mapping the world’s fungi from air samples

The core focus of Ovaskainen’s and Abrego’s multidisciplinary research group is the development of statistical modeling, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence methods to accurately forecast biodiversity changes using new types of data.

Otso Ovaskainen, an Academy Professor at the University of Jyvaskyla, participated in the research project and believes that these new biodiversity sampling techniques will revolutionize biomonitoring and biodiversity forecasts. Ovaskainen is leading a follow-up project using DNA, images, and audio to study fungi, insects, mammals, birds, bats, and frogs at hundreds of locations worldwide.

Samples of The Study

“There are more than a million insect species in the samples already collected, far more than have been described by science so far,” says Ovaskainen. “The vast data set, including over a hundred years of sound, millions of camera trap images, and billions of DNA sequences, presents a significant analytical challenge.”

Given that most fungi spread at least partially through the air, the study examined various types, including boletes, russulas, lichens, bracket fungi, molds, and yeasts.

Study The Yeast Here

Future of The Study

“One particularly interesting area for further research is a detailed review of sequences for fungi important to humans,” says Abrego. “This includes fungal diseases affecting humans, crops, and livestock, as well as fungi that indicate ecological degradation and the weakening of natural processes.”

Abrego is leading a project that pilots air sampling and other innovative research methods as part of the regular Finnish national forest inventory, coordinated by the Natural Resources Institute Finland.

Funded by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, this project aims to generate comprehensive data on natural diversity, particularly previously unknown fungi and insects, to inform decision-making processes.

FAQ on Mapping The World’s Fungi From Air Samples

Polyphenols are generally harmful to microorganisms. Scientists previously believed that microorganisms in peatlands avoided these toxins by using oxygen-dependent enzymes to break down polyphenols, and consequently, low oxygen levels in these environments limited microbial activity and carbon cycling. However, a new study has changed this perspective because the peatland microorganisms have a big impact on climate

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Study of Peatland Microorganisms

• In this study, researchers analyzed data from thousands of microbial genomes recovered from Stordalen Mire, an Arctic peatland in Sweden.
• They discovered that these microorganisms used alternative polyphenol-active enzymes, both oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent.
• This finding highlights the significant role polyphenols play in peatland carbon dynamics and suggests that the carbon stored in these ecosystems is more vulnerable to being released into the atmosphere due to climate change than previously thought.

Why The peatland microorganisms have a big impact on climate

• Arctic peatlands store vast amounts of carbon, and as global temperatures rise and environments change, the stability of this stored carbon has become a major concern.
• Researchers examined the soil microbiome, studying the functions of thousands of microorganisms in an Arctic peatland ecosystem.
• Contrary to previous beliefs, the study revealed that many microorganisms can metabolize polyphenols.
• Scientists had previously considered these complex carbon compounds to be inert and crucial for carbon storage.
• With this new understanding, scientists can better predict the impacts of climate change on Arctic ecosystems and develop targeted strategies to mitigate these effects.

A New Understanding of Microbial Adaptation

Peatlands have long intrigued carbon reservoirs, yet the role of microorganisms in carbon cycling has remained unclear. This new research challenges the idea that peatland microorganisms only degrade polyphenols under oxygenated conditions using phenol oxidase. Drawing from insights from other oxygen-limited environments like the human gut and rumen, where alternative enzymes and pathways metabolize polyphenols, the research team developed a novel computational tool to quickly profile polyphenol metabolisms in microbial genomes.

Broader Implications and Future Research

Applying this tool to thousands of microbial genomes from an Arctic peatland revealed a surprising diversity of polyphenol-transforming biochemical pathways. Some microorganisms had a high number of these genes, indicating their strong capability to degrade polyphenols. Additionally, the findings highlight the adaptability of microbial gene expression to changing soil redox conditions across the landscape.

Video on Microorganisms

Utility of This Research

By uncovering this hidden biochemistry, the research provides a new understanding of carbon cycling in these climate-critical ecosystems. These insights expand knowledge of microbial metabolism and emphasize the complex interplay between microorganisms and carbon dynamics in the context of climate change.

FAQ on The peatland microorganisms have a big impact on climate

One of the major debates regarding human evolution and migration concerns the timing and path taken by the first hominids to reach Europe from Africa. The recent study of new geological datings place the first European hominids in the south of the Iberian Peninsula supports the theory that humans entered Europe via the southern Iberian Peninsula through the Strait of Gibraltar, rather than taking the Mediterranean route through Asia.

Watch Here The Evolution of Human

Analysis of a New Sampling For New geological datings place the first European hominids in the south of the Iberian Peninsula

• The new dating was based on the paleomagnetism analysis of an area in Orce that had not been previously sampled and was protected from erosion.
• Paleomagnetism is a relative dating method that studies the inversion of the Earth’s magnetic poles due to internal dynamics.
• These inversions, recorded in minerals, help establish time periods. The long sedimentary sequence in Orce, over eighty meters long, provided precise data.
• The researchers identified a magnetic polarity sequence with five events, placing the three Orce sites with human presence between the Olduvai and Jaramillo subchrons, approximately 1.77 to 1.07 million years ago.
• A statistical age model refined the chronology of different stratigraphic levels to within a margin of error of only 70,000 years. The oldest site, Venta Micena, is dated to 1.32 million years ago, followed by Barranco León at 1.28 million years, and Fuente Nueva 3 at 1.23 million years. These dates suggest the other major site on the peninsula, Sima del Elefante in Atapuerca, is younger, dated between 0.2 and 0.4 million years.

Evidences For New geological datings place the first European hominids in the south of the Iberian Peninsula

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