Harmful genetic mutations may be less common than we thought

We are all mutants. Every characteristic that defines our species is the result of a genetic mutation somewhere in the history of evolution. And the same is true for every other organism on the planet. Yet more often than ...

Scientists devise algorithm to engineer improved enzymes

Scientists have prototyped a new method for "rationally engineering" enzymes to deliver improved performance. They have devised an algorithm, which takes into account an enzyme's evolutionary history, to flag where mutations ...

Should we teach creationism in schools? Yes, in history class

Despite lack of evidence or logic, some people would like kids to be taught as fact that the Earth was created by a supernatural being some 6,000 years ago. That is the case put forth by Christian Schools' Trust, as it was ...

'Sloppier copier' surprisingly efficient

The "sloppier copier" discovered by USC biologists is also the best sixth man in the DNA repair game, an article in the journal Nature shows.

Darwin meets Newton: Evolution and the mass of the galaxy

If the solution to a problem does not reveal itself straight away then why not let your initial guesswork evolve? That's the approach we've taken in trying to determine the mass of our galaxy by mapping the historic movement ...

Team shows how evolution can allow for large developmental leaps

How evolution acts to bridge the chasm between two discrete physiological states is a question that's long puzzled scientists. Most evolutionary changes, after all, happen in tiny increments: an elephant grows a little larger, ...

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