Biography
Just as organisms undergo Darwinian evolution in nature, molecules can be made to evolve in the test tube. This can lead to the production of molecules with interesting properties, including the ability to catalyze a particular chemical reaction. The recipe for Darwinian evolution of molecules is simple:
1) Start with a large population of molecules of varying composition;
2) Select those molecules, however rare, that have the desired chemical properties;
3) Produce many copies of the selected molecules, introducing occasional random changes in their composition;
4) Repeat as desired.
In our laboratory we have harnessed the power of Darwinian evolution as applied to populations of trillions of different RNA or DNA molecules. At their most rapid, our procedures allow us to carry out over 100 "generations" of test-tube evolution in a single day. The resulting molecules have interesting catalytic properties, teach us about evolution itself, and have potential application as therapeutic agents.
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