Navigation Links
Weizmann Institute scientists discover: A 'risk distribution law' for evolution
Date:11/1/2007

Prof. Naama Barkai will receive the Helen and Martin Kimmel Award for Innovative Investigation on Monday, Nov. 5 at the Weizmann Institute. The award is accompanied by a research grant of a million dollars over five years.

Taking a chance on an experiment this is one of the impulses that drive evolution. Living cells are, from this angle, great subjects for experimentation: Changes in one molecule can have all sorts of interesting consequences for many other molecules in the cell. Such experiments on genes and proteins have led the cell, and indeed all life, on a long and fascinating evolutionary journey.

Prof. Naama Barkai of the Weizmann Institutes Molecular Genetics Department recently took a look at gene expression the process in which the encoded instructions are translated into proteins and the evolution of mechanisms in the cell for controlling that expression. Changes in genes, and thus in protein structure, are a double-edged sword: They can give cells new abilities or advantages for survival, but they can also spell disease or death for the organism. Not all genes evolve at the same rate. Indeed, some have been conserved through long stretches of evolution: Similar versions of some genes are found in yeast, plants, worms, flies and humans. When do cells hold on to specific gene sequences, and when do they allow evolution to experiment with them"

Clearly, highly conserved genes fulfill some basic, universal function for all life, and changes in their sequences have drastic consequences, involving death or the inability to multiply. How does evolution 'decide' which genes need to be conserved, and which it can change freely" What keeps these genes safe from the ongoing experimentation thats constantly carried out on other genes"

Barkai and her team discovered a sort of 'risk distribution law' for evolution. They found that a genetic 'phrase' that regularly shows up in the promoter region of genes (the bit of
'/>"/>

Contact: Yivsam Azgad
news@weizmann.ac.il
972-893-43856
Weizmann Institute of Science
Source:Eurekalert

1

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Weizmann Institute scientists develop a new approach for directing treatment to metastasized prostate cancer in the bones.
2. Weizmann Institute suggests that immune cells help to maintain cognition and brain cell renewal
3. Weizmann Institute scientists discover a molecular security mechanism for keeping mutations in check
4. Weizmann Institute scientists develop a general control switch for protein activity
5. Affymetrix and the Karolinska Institutet Announce Translational Medicine Strategic Alliance
6. UCLA launches $20 million stem cell institute to investigate HIV, cancer and neurological disorders
7. BioMed Central welcomes the new National Institutes of Health public access policy
8. Institute for Systems Biology Symposium Addresses Need for Better Computational Tools
9. Virginia Tech, Nanjing Institute researchers discover half-billion year-old fossils
10. UC San Diego partners with Venter Institute to build marine microbial genomics cyberinfrastructure
11. Virginia Bioinformatics Institutes launches microbial database
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/15/2008)...rchers Karen Staehling-Hampton, Ph.D., Managing Di...Ph.D., Investigator, collaborated with colleagues ...cause spinal mutations in chick and mouse model sy...s with congenital vertebral abnormalities. , Th... the American Journal of Human Genetics. , Work...
(Date:5/15/2008)...l knowledge that tuna aggregate under floating obj... or even large marine mammals. There is still no f...t the past 20 years have seen purse-seine fishery ...rations of fish. Fishermen cast off floating rafts...s purse-seine net, deployed in a wide arc on eithe...
(Date:5/15/2008)... scientist and his celebrated brother will each re...uation ceremony. Last year each brother was named ..., The University of Nottingham Research Professo...brother, the acclaimed playwright and director Ste...her for their remarkable contribution to British s...
(Date:5/14/2008)...ifferences may explain the greater risk for prosta...ic men, which could help clinicians predict who is...a paper published in the May 15, 2008, issue of Cl...Association for Cancer Research. , Currently, th...te cancer is the prostate specific antigen test, b...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Stowers Institute researchers identify gene linked to vertebral defects in patient populations 2Does fishing on drifting fish aggregation devices endanger the survival of tropical tuna? 2Does fishing on drifting fish aggregation devices endanger the survival of tropical tuna? 3Boffinry and Baftas: Brothers' double doctorates 2Genes may play role in risk assessment for prostate cancer among Hispanics and caucasians 2Albert Einstein College of Medicine Receives 2425 Million Gift to Support Stem Cell and Epigenomic Research and Clinical Skills Training 5342 1Albert Einstein College of Medicine Receives 2425 Million Gift to Support Stem Cell and Epigenomic Research and Clinical Skills Training 5342 2Albert Einstein College of Medicine Receives 2425 Million Gift to Support Stem Cell and Epigenomic Research and Clinical Skills Training 5342 3Albert Einstein College of Medicine Receives 2425 Million Gift to Support Stem Cell and Epigenomic Research and Clinical Skills Training 5342 4Albert Einstein College of Medicine Receives 2425 Million Gift to Support Stem Cell and Epigenomic Research and Clinical Skills Training 5342 5ChemoCentryx Initiates Clinical Trial of CCR1 Inhibitor CCX354 2047 1ChemoCentryx Initiates Clinical Trial of CCR1 Inhibitor CCX354 2047 2ChemoCentryx Initiates Clinical Trial of CCR1 Inhibitor CCX354 2047 3ChemoCentryx Initiates Clinical Trial of CCR1 Inhibitor CCX354 2047 4ChemoCentryx Initiates Clinical Trial of CCR1 Inhibitor CCX354 2047 5Paramed Systems Achieves Significant Business Milestone in the Offshore Oil and Gas Evacuation Market 19150 1Psychology com Seeing Growing Acceptance of Online Therapy 19145 1Psychology com Seeing Growing Acceptance of Online Therapy 19145 2
...nd the Institute for Eye Research have received et...f an antibacterial extended-wear contact lens. , ...-bacterial technology identified by UNSW researche...vation. , The trial beginning on June 29 will c...contact lens to that of a standard contact lens. ...
...iest threats to public health. Every year two mil... the microorganism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Rou...ed and more and more bacterial strains have develo...urg Outstation of the European Molecular Biology L...Infection Biology (MPIIB) in Berlin have now obtai...
...than conservation, a joint effort by the governmen...iety (WCS) and funded by the United States Agency ...nched to protect the region,s unique wildlife and ...tected areas. , , "This is an important and exc...of the most beautiful wild lands in Asia," said Pe...
...tamian marshes since 2003 has resulted in a "remar...ates, plants, fish, and birds, according to an art... Richardson of Duke University and Najah A. Hussai...work conducted over the past two years in four lar...w from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has been gr...
Other Biology News:First human trial of antibacterial contact lens 2New potential drug target in tuberculosis 2Afghanistan to protect wildlife and wild lands 2Iraq's marshes show progress toward recovery 2
(Date:5/16/2008)... FORT WORTH, Texas, May 16 /- Geor...cer, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., told more than 200,Fo...f Fort Worth luncheon,that the threat of a pandemi...hose anticipated with traditional emergency prepar...liar with preparing for potential,disasters such a...
(Date:5/16/2008)... Results of international, multi-center registry ...RNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boston Scientific,Corporat...m an international,multi-center patient registry ... SpyGlass(R) Direct Visualization System will be p... runs from May 17-22 in San Diego,CA. Registry re...
(Date:5/16/2008)... CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCa... the future as well as its current product,pipelin...here Technologies,Inc. (Nasdaq: EMIS ), was feat...in The Wall Street Transcript (TWST). Established ...s of financial markets, including,CEOs, analysts a...
(Date:5/16/2008)... MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 16 /PRNewswire-Firs... ) today announced that the Company will,present a...are Conference,on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at 9:00... presentation will be available on the Investor,Re..., http://www.mappharma.com . A replay will also be...
Breaking Biology Technology:CEO Addresses Fort Worth Business Leaders About Developing Pandemic and Business Continuity Plans 2CEO Addresses Fort Worth Business Leaders About Developing Pandemic and Business Continuity Plans 3Boston Scientific's SpyGlass(R) Direct Visualization System to Be Prominently Featured at Digestive Disease Week(R) 2Boston Scientific's SpyGlass(R) Direct Visualization System to Be Prominently Featured at Digestive Disease Week(R) 3Boston Scientific's SpyGlass(R) Direct Visualization System to Be Prominently Featured at Digestive Disease Week(R) 4Boston Scientific's SpyGlass(R) Direct Visualization System to Be Prominently Featured at Digestive Disease Week(R) 5Michael V. Novinski, Emisphere President/CEO Featured in the Wall Street Transcript 2Michael V. Novinski, Emisphere President/CEO Featured in the Wall Street Transcript 3
..., , For 124 high-purity plasmid minipreps ,... , Spin columns, , ... Centrifugation, , , ...pin columns, , , Th... , Preparation time: , ...
..., , Includes QIAGEN EZ Competent Cells for ..., , , , , Co...ntration , , , , ... , , , pDrive Clonin... , , Ligation Master Mix ,...
..., , For robust amplification in all applica... , , Component , ... , , , , ... , HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase, ..., PCR Buffer, , 1...
..., , High-quality short interfering RNA (siR...encing in eukaryotic cell culture by targeting com...termed RNA interference (RNAi), enables targeted ,...ies. Now, QIAGEN offers a custom , siRNA ol...nge of modifications , and also library siR...
Other Biology Technology:Custom and library siRNA for efficient gene silencing 2Custom and library siRNA for efficient gene silencing 3Custom and library siRNA for efficient gene silencing 4Custom and library siRNA for efficient gene silencing 5