Pub Date : 2019-05-02DOI: 10.1142/9789813273290_0010
G. Terry Sharrer
{"title":"Molecular Inference of Wisdom","authors":"G. Terry Sharrer","doi":"10.1142/9789813273290_0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/9789813273290_0010","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115352453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-05-02DOI: 10.1142/9789813273290_0006
G. ’t Hooft
{"title":"The Universe, a Personal View on Exploring the Boundaries, or: The Science of the Extremes","authors":"G. ’t Hooft","doi":"10.1142/9789813273290_0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/9789813273290_0006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116012173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-05-02DOI: 10.1142/9789813273290_0004
A. Carlsson
{"title":"A Paradigm Shift in Brain Research (1955–1970): Opportunities and ChallengesSeventy Years of Brain Research — Looking Back and Ahead","authors":"A. Carlsson","doi":"10.1142/9789813273290_0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/9789813273290_0004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131692613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-08-28DOI: 10.1142/S2529732518400023
F. Arnold
Not satisfied with nature’s vast enzyme repertoire, we want to create new ones and expand the space of genetically encoded enzyme functions. We use the most powerful biological design process, evol...
{"title":"Enzymes by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life","authors":"F. Arnold","doi":"10.1142/S2529732518400023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/S2529732518400023","url":null,"abstract":"Not satisfied with nature’s vast enzyme repertoire, we want to create new ones and expand the space of genetically encoded enzyme functions. We use the most powerful biological design process, evol...","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122310577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-08-28DOI: 10.1142/S2529732518010010
G. Born, Lorie Karnath
Science and its technologies, with their universal validity and utilization, should bring people together more effectively than any other human activity. Indeed, they do this brilliantly for those devoted to common research pursuits, such as the worldwide collaborations in genomics and proteomics, the much larger task of fi nding out how proteins do their work in cells; and for numerous commercial technologies, such as satellite communications. But the ever-accelerating acquisition of knowledge has also had the opposite effect, through increasing the separation of those who are part of this process from those who are not. Such a gap has of course existed since modern science began in the 17 century; but by now it has become a schism between different mental worlds. This causes misunderstandings, antagonisms and confrontations. The knowledge gap does not preclude the ability of everyone on both sides of the divide to make use of the most sophisticated scientifi c technologies. It is amazing how the millions who talk to each other around the world on mobile phones rarely if ever look at the little gadget with the awe it deserves. Numberless essential activities are based on scientifi c knowledge without needing explicit understanding. Technicians in medical laboratories know how to determine the presence or absence of each of the many proteins essential for blood clotting, without understanding how they bring this about. To do such work effectively requires, as in innumerable other activities, knowledge up to a certain level, so that imparting the knowledge-base of all imaginable skills is an important element in calls for “education, education, education”. But looked at right across the world this level of education remains way behind what the technological environment requires. Poor countries struggle to maintain the even more basic learning needed for survival. In many countries education is impeded by bigotry, as when a total ban on women’s education was imposed in Afghanistan, and as in some parts of the United States where teaching of the theory of evolution is forbidden — This at a time when the President of the Royal Society can speak of Darwin’s theory as having much the same standing as Newton’s law of gravitation. Even those going up to University from the best and most expensive private schools may be thoroughly conversant within the humanities while lacking all knowledge of basic biology or even of their own body functions, thus reinforcing C.P. Snow’s “two cultures”. Thus, whilst just about everybody uses scientifi c technologies, only a small proportion understand or want to understand what they are using. Many people lack the time, the energy or the willingness to take in new kinds of information and to think in unfamiliar ways. To the extent that remains true, this knowledge gap persists. But knowledge is no more than a tool in the quest for understanding. Understanding the mechanisms of blood clotting may be of no direct concern t
{"title":"Editorial — The Knowledge Gap","authors":"G. Born, Lorie Karnath","doi":"10.1142/S2529732518010010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/S2529732518010010","url":null,"abstract":"Science and its technologies, with their universal validity and utilization, should bring people together more effectively than any other human activity. Indeed, they do this brilliantly for those devoted to common research pursuits, such as the worldwide collaborations in genomics and proteomics, the much larger task of fi nding out how proteins do their work in cells; and for numerous commercial technologies, such as satellite communications. But the ever-accelerating acquisition of knowledge has also had the opposite effect, through increasing the separation of those who are part of this process from those who are not. Such a gap has of course existed since modern science began in the 17 century; but by now it has become a schism between different mental worlds. This causes misunderstandings, antagonisms and confrontations. The knowledge gap does not preclude the ability of everyone on both sides of the divide to make use of the most sophisticated scientifi c technologies. It is amazing how the millions who talk to each other around the world on mobile phones rarely if ever look at the little gadget with the awe it deserves. Numberless essential activities are based on scientifi c knowledge without needing explicit understanding. Technicians in medical laboratories know how to determine the presence or absence of each of the many proteins essential for blood clotting, without understanding how they bring this about. To do such work effectively requires, as in innumerable other activities, knowledge up to a certain level, so that imparting the knowledge-base of all imaginable skills is an important element in calls for “education, education, education”. But looked at right across the world this level of education remains way behind what the technological environment requires. Poor countries struggle to maintain the even more basic learning needed for survival. In many countries education is impeded by bigotry, as when a total ban on women’s education was imposed in Afghanistan, and as in some parts of the United States where teaching of the theory of evolution is forbidden — This at a time when the President of the Royal Society can speak of Darwin’s theory as having much the same standing as Newton’s law of gravitation. Even those going up to University from the best and most expensive private schools may be thoroughly conversant within the humanities while lacking all knowledge of basic biology or even of their own body functions, thus reinforcing C.P. Snow’s “two cultures”. Thus, whilst just about everybody uses scientifi c technologies, only a small proportion understand or want to understand what they are using. Many people lack the time, the energy or the willingness to take in new kinds of information and to think in unfamiliar ways. To the extent that remains true, this knowledge gap persists. But knowledge is no more than a tool in the quest for understanding. Understanding the mechanisms of blood clotting may be of no direct concern t","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"370 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125698976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-12-27DOI: 10.1142/S2529732517400132
J. Szostak
To understand the origin of life on Earth, and to evaluate the potential for life on exoplanets, we must understand the pathways that lead from chemistry to biology. Recent experiments suggest that a chemically rich environment that provides the building blocks of membranes, nucleic acids and peptides, along with sources of chemical energy, could result in the emergence of replicating, evolving cells. The broad scope of synthetic chemistry suggests that it may be possible to design and construct artificial life forms based upon a very different biochemistry than that of existing biology.
{"title":"The Origin of Life on Earth and the Design of Alternative Life Forms","authors":"J. Szostak","doi":"10.1142/S2529732517400132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/S2529732517400132","url":null,"abstract":"To understand the origin of life on Earth, and to evaluate the potential for life on exoplanets, we must understand the pathways that lead from chemistry to biology. Recent experiments suggest that a chemically rich environment that provides the building blocks of membranes, nucleic acids and peptides, along with sources of chemical energy, could result in the emergence of replicating, evolving cells. The broad scope of synthetic chemistry suggests that it may be possible to design and construct artificial life forms based upon a very different biochemistry than that of existing biology.","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"86 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124810528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-12-27DOI: 10.1142/S2529732517400120
N. Lane
All complex life on Earth is composed of ‘eukaryotic’ cells. Eukaryotes arose just once in 4 billion years, via an endosymbiosis — bacteria entered a simple host cell, evolving into mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses’ of complex cells. Mitochondria lost most of their genes, retaining only those needed for respiration, giving eukaryotes ‘multi-bacterial’ power without the costs of maintaining thousands of complete bacterial genomes. These energy savings supported a substantial expansion in nuclear genome size, and far more protein synthesis from each gene.
{"title":"Origin of the Eukaryotic Cell","authors":"N. Lane","doi":"10.1142/S2529732517400120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/S2529732517400120","url":null,"abstract":"All complex life on Earth is composed of ‘eukaryotic’ cells. Eukaryotes arose just once in 4 billion years, via an endosymbiosis — bacteria entered a simple host cell, evolving into mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses’ of complex cells. Mitochondria lost most of their genes, retaining only those needed for respiration, giving eukaryotes ‘multi-bacterial’ power without the costs of maintaining thousands of complete bacterial genomes. These energy savings supported a substantial expansion in nuclear genome size, and far more protein synthesis from each gene.","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"150 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115590891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-12-27DOI: 10.1142/S2529732517400090
J. Doudna
CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary genome-editing tool. Understanding how Cas9 recognizes DNA and how to control its function will be critical in improving the system. We used single-molecule FRET to elucidate a key validation step during DNA target recognition. We also used X-ray crystallography to show how a Cas9 inhibitor is able to permit DNA binding but prevent cleavage. Finally, CRISPR research is notable not just for the exciting applications, but also for its profound ethical implications.
{"title":"CRISPR System: From Adaptive Immunity to Genome Editing","authors":"J. Doudna","doi":"10.1142/S2529732517400090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/S2529732517400090","url":null,"abstract":"CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary genome-editing tool. Understanding how Cas9 recognizes DNA and how to control its function will be critical in improving the system. We used single-molecule FRET to elucidate a key validation step during DNA target recognition. We also used X-ray crystallography to show how a Cas9 inhibitor is able to permit DNA binding but prevent cleavage. Finally, CRISPR research is notable not just for the exciting applications, but also for its profound ethical implications.","PeriodicalId":425814,"journal":{"name":"The Promise of Science","volume":"171 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125530068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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