Futures in Biotech 57: Mechanisms Of Non-Mendelian Inheritance In Evolution
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 04:28PM Hosts: Marc Pelletier and George W. Farr, Ph.D., Vice President of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Aeromics and Adjunct Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University
Guests: Susan Lindquist, Ph.D., Professor of Biology at MIT and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Simon Alberti, Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, and Randal Halfmann, a grad student in Dr. Lindquist's lab at MIT.
Drs. Susan Lindquist (MIT), Simon Alberti (Max-Planck), and Randal Halfmann (MIT) talk about how prion proteins (yes, the like the ones that cause mad cow) can act in non-mendelian inheritance: evolution without DNA. This is a paradigm shift in our understanding of evolution. These prion proteins can enable an organism's rapid adaptation to new environments, and thus contribute to evolution at the protein level. It is not just for DNA anymore!
Reader Comments (2)
Great episode! Dr. Lindquist and her brilliant team are certainly a pioneering force in the area of amyloid proteins and how non-fibrillar amyloid proteins regulate pathophysiological mechanisms. It was a real pleasure to listen to their enthusiasm and passion. Marc and George's comments were pertinent and well thought of.
Thumbs WAY up!
Thanks Sylvain!