Darwin in a Test Tube

May 1, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have discovered a way to make molecules evolve and compete according to the laws of Darwinian evolution. Using RNA, the researchers were able to demonstrate that only the fittest molecules survived in the presence of a limited resource. When resources were plentiful, molecules would become increasingly specialized through generations of replication.

This fascinating work is helping astrobiologists better understand the processes that underlie evolution. Additionally, the results could shed some light on how primitive molecules on Earth first gave live to living organisms.

The work was funded through NASA’s Exobiology & Evolutionary Biology program.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]