Barbara McClintock's Jumping Genes versus the Neo-Darwinists: Following the data and not the dogma


"In terms of junk DNA, we don’t use that term anymore because I think it was pretty much a case of hubris to imagine that we could dispense with any part of the genome, as if we knew enough to say it wasn’t functional. … Most of the genome that we used to think was there for spacer turns out to be doing stuff.”

- Francis Collins, head of the (failed) Human Genome Project (HGP)


Barbara McClintock was a cytogeneticist who discovered transposable elements, also known as jumping genes aka Junk DNA. These elements can move around within the genome. McClintock's work was initially met with strong skepticism from the scientific community, who held more Neo-Darwinian views. Some said she was either brilliant or crazy. Barbara McClintock observed the phenomenon of jumping genes in maize as early as 1944. However, her findings challenged the prevailing scientific understanding at the time. It wasn't until the 1980s (40 years)  that the significance of her work was fully recognized:


  • Neo-Darwinism is a modern evolutionary theory that combines Darwin's theory of natural selection with Mendelian genetics. It emphasizes the role of mutations and natural selection in driving evolution. This only applied to the coding DNA (2%) where her work applied to the noncoding DNA (98%).

  • McClintock's work was ahead of its time, and it wasn't until the 1980s that the significance of transposable elements (jumping genes) was fully recognized. Today, her discoveries are considered to be foundational in genetics and plant breeding.

  • McClintock's early retirement was due to a number of factors, including the dismissal of her work by colleagues. However, till that retirement she continued her research independently and eventually received recognition for her groundbreaking discoveries with a Nobel Prize at 83 years old, 50 years after her discovery.


An earlier Nobel Prize for Barbara McClintock's discovery of transposable elements (jumping genes) would have significantly influenced the Human Genome Project (HGP).

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was a landmark international scientific research project with the goal of determining the complete sequence of human genetic information, stored in our DNA.  It ran from 1990 to 2003. This monumental undertaking was led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

If the project head, Francis Collins, a staunch Theistic Evolutionist, has followed McClintock's work the Project might have been a success. Rather it was widely panned as a failure for ignoring 98% of our DNA.



Following McClintock's it might have:

  • Increased Emphasis on Transposons: McClintock's work challenged the then-held view of genes as static entities. Recognition of her research earlier might have comprised greater focus on transposons during the HGP.  These elements make up a significant portion of the human genome, and understanding their role is crucial for comprehensive genetic analysis.

  • Improved Sequencing Techniques: Studying transposons requires specialized techniques due to their repetitive nature. Earlier recognition of McClintock's work could have led to the development of more sophisticated sequencing methods better equipped to handle these mobile elements during the HGP.

  • Broader Understanding of Gene Regulation: McClintock's theory linked transposons to gene regulation. If her work had been accepted earlier, it might have provided valuable insights into gene expression during the HGP, leading to a more nuanced understanding of how genes function.


McClintock was fully aware of neo-Darwinism yet was not afraid to follow the data even if it questioned her education. One can only imagine if other scientists were brave enough to follow her lead.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Natural Selection has not been accurately measured since Darwin

Image
Francis Crick's term "frozen accident" falsely described the seeming rigidity of the genetic code, its apparent inability to accommodate additional amino acids beyond the standard 20. This observation had puzzled scientists for decades, as the genetic code seems to have reached a plateau in its expansion despite the potential for incorporating new amino acids with novel properties. NeoDarwinian thinking reasoned greater natural selection could occur with more codons. Several hypotheses were put forward to explain this apparent standstill in the genetic code's evolution. Crick and others  eventually applied natural selection to think redundant codons were neutral as to account for neutral selection . The question of why the genetic code stopped incorporating new amino acids remained a fascinating topic in evolutionary biology till Cas9 Crispr. The redundancy of codons, where multiple codons can specify the same amino acid, has long been considered a neutr...
Read more

The Origin at 150: Charting a New Evolutionary Voyage on Post-Genomic Seas

Image
“The summary of the state of affairs on the 150th anniversary of the Origin is somewhat shocking: in the post-genomic era, all major tenets of the Modern Synthesis are, if not outright overturned, replaced by a new and incomparably more complex vision of the key aspects of evolution. So, not to mince words, the Modern Synthesis is gone.” -EV Koonin, cited by over 250,000 scientists. The Origin at 150: Charting a New Evolutionary Voyage on Post-Genomic Seas As the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's epochal "On the Origin of Species" casts a long shadow, evolutionary biologist Eugene V. Koonin throws down a gauntlet in his essay "The Origin at 150: Is a new evolutionary synthesis in sight?" He contends that the Modern Synthesis, the reigning framework since the 1950s, has crumbled under the weight of post-genomic discoveries. This audacious claim compels us to ask: has the ship of evolutionary understanding truly run aground, and if so, can a new v...
Read more

Developmental Plasticity: A Worm's Eye View

Image
Imagine a world where your genes don't dictate your destiny. This isn't science fiction; it's the remarkable reality of developmental plasticity. While the blueprint of life lies within our genes, the environment can sculpt and refine that blueprint, shaping who we become. To understand this fascinating concept, let's shrink ourselves down to the size of a worm, in this case, the transparent roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). These millimeter-long marvels hold the key to unlocking the secrets of developmental plasticity. C. elegans boasts a mere 1031 cells, each with a predetermined fate – or so we once thought. These worms develop in a remarkably consistent manner, following a precise cell lineage. However, this seemingly rigid program belies a surprising level of flexibility. Environmental cues, like temperature or food availability, can trigger dramatic changes in their development. For instance, when faced with limited food, C. elegans can en...
Read more