Natural Selection is about to get Crispr(ed)


Cas9 CRISPR deep mutation maps stand to overturn 100 years of natural selection mathematical models from Hardy-Weinberg to Ka/Ks.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to DNA. It is a powerful technology that has the potential to revolutionize medicine, agriculture, and other fields.

One of the most exciting applications of CRISPR-Cas9 is its potential to improve our understanding of natural selection. Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, our understanding of natural selection is based on mathematical models that have been around for over 100 years. These models are based on a number of assumptions, including the idea that mutations are rare and that they are randomly distributed throughout the genome.

CRISPR-Cas9 bypasses these assumptions. Mutations can now be created easily and precisely, and they can be targeted to specific locations in the genome. This means that we can now study natural selection in a much more controlled and experimental setting.

Deep mutational scanning is a technique that uses CRISPR-Cas9 to create a comprehensive map of all the mutations that can occur at a particular location in the genome. This allows scientists to see how different mutations affect the "fitness" of an organism. After all "fitness" is the real question not natural selection.

Deep mutational scanning has already been used to study a number of different organisms, including bacteria, yeast, and fruit flies. The results of these studies have challenged some of our basic assumptions about natural selection.

For example, one study found that some mutations that are considered to be "deleterious" can actually be beneficial in certain environments. This suggests that natural selection got it wrong.

Another study found that mutations can have a cumulative effect on fitness. This means that the effects of multiple mutations can be more than just the sum of their individual effects. This finding has important implications for our understanding of how complex traits evolve outside of natural selection.

The results of deep mutational scanning are still being interpreted, but they have the potential to overturn 100 years of natural selection mathematical models. These models are based on the assumption that mutations are rare and randomly distributed. However, CRISPR-Cas9 can create specific  mutations easily and precisely, and they can be targeted to specific locations in the genome. This means that we need to develop new mathematical models that can take into account the effects of these new technologies outside of natural selection.

The development of CRISPR-Cas9 is a major breakthrough in our understanding of natural selection. It is a powerful tool that can be used to study the development of complex traits and to develop new treatments for diseases. It is also a reminder that our understanding of the natural world is constantly evolving.

In addition to the challenges to existing mathematical models, CRISPR-Cas9 also raises new questions about natural selection. For example, how does natural selection respond to the rapid changes in DNA that can be caused by CRISPR-Cas9? 

These are just some of the questions that CRISPR-Cas9 is forcing us to ask about natural selection. The answers to these questions will have a profound impact on our understanding of the natural world and our ability to manipulate it. 

More importantly it might answer Darwin's 170 year old question, "does natural selection actually exist?"

CRISPR-Cas9 deep mutation maps stand to overturn 100 years of natural selection mathematical models. This is a rapidly evolving field, and there is still much that we do not know. However, CRISPR-Cas9 is a powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the natural world.

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