Natural genetic engineering: Difference between revisions

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Natural genetic engineering ('''NGE''') is a process described by molecular biologist [[James A. Shapiro|James Shapiro]] to account for novelty created in the process of biological evolution. Shapiro developed this work in several peer-reviewed publications and later in his book ''Evolution: A View from the 21st Century''. Shapiro uses NGE to account for several proposed counterexamples to the [[central dogma of molecular biology]] (that the direction of sequence information flow only moves from DNA or RNA to proteins and never the reverse), drawing from work as diverse as the adaptivity of the mammalian immune system, ciliate marconuclei and epigenetics. The work gained some measure of notoriety after being championed by proponents of [[Intelligent Design]], despite Shapiro's explicit repudiation of that movement.
Natural genetic engineering ('''NGE''') is a process described by molecular biologist [[James A. Shapiro|James Shapiro]] to account for novelty created in the process of biological evolution. Shapiro developed this work in several peer-reviewed publications and later in his book ''Evolution: A View from the 21st Century''. Shapiro uses NGE to account for several proposed counterexamples to the [[central dogma of molecular biology]] (that the direction of sequence information flow only moves from DNA or RNA to proteins and never the reverse), drawing from work as diverse as the adaptivity of the mammalian immune system, ciliate marconuclei and epigenetics. The work gained some measure of notoriety after being championed by proponents of [[Intelligent Design]], despite Shapiro's explicit repudiation of that movement.


==Concept==

Shapiro first laid out his ideas of Natural Genetic Engineering in 1992<ref name="Shapiro 1992" /> and has continued to develop them in both the primary scientific literature<ref name="Shapiro 1997" /> <ref name="Shapiro 2005" />and in work directed to wider audiences, culminating in the 2011 publication of ''Evolution: A View from the 21st Century''<ref name="Shapiro 2011" />.


==Relation with Intelligent Design==
==Relation with Intelligent Design==
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{{Reflist |refs=
{{Reflist |refs=
<ref name="Shapiro 1992"> {{cite journal
| last=Shapiro
| first=James A.
| title=[Natural genetic engineering in evolution http://shapiro.bsd.uchicago.edu/Shapiro.1992.Gentica.NatGenEngInEvo.pdf]
| journal=Genetica
| year=1992
| volume=86
| number=1-3
| pages=99-111
| doi=10.1007/BF00133714}}</ref>
<ref name="Shapiro 1997"> {{cite journal
| last=Shapiro
| first=James A.
| title=[http://shapiro.bsd.uchicago.edu/Shapiro1997TIG.pdf Genome organization, natural genetic engineering and adaptive mutation]
| journal=Trends in Genetics
| volume=13
| number=3
| pages=98-104
| doi=10.1016/S0168-9525(97)01058-5}}</ref>
<ref name="Shapiro 2005"> {{cite journal
| last=Shapiro
| first=James A.
| title=[https://rowan.biology.ualberta.ca/courses/genet302/uploads/winter06/lecture/b1/shelagh_campbell/lecture_outlines/topic_1/TEgenomeevol.pdf A 21st century view of evolution: genome system architecture, repetitive DNA, and natural genetic engineering]
| journal=Gene
| volume=345
| issue=1
| pages=91-100
| doi=10.1016/j.gene.2004.11.020}}</ref>

<ref name="Shapiro 2012a"> {{cite web
<ref name="Shapiro 2012a"> {{cite web
| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-a-shapiro/cell-cognition_b_1354889.html
| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-a-shapiro/cell-cognition_b_1354889.html

Revision as of 20:42, 29 September 2012

Natural genetic engineering (NGE) is a process described by molecular biologist James Shapiro to account for novelty created in the process of biological evolution. Shapiro developed this work in several peer-reviewed publications and later in his book Evolution: A View from the 21st Century. Shapiro uses NGE to account for several proposed counterexamples to the central dogma of molecular biology (that the direction of sequence information flow only moves from DNA or RNA to proteins and never the reverse), drawing from work as diverse as the adaptivity of the mammalian immune system, ciliate marconuclei and epigenetics. The work gained some measure of notoriety after being championed by proponents of Intelligent Design, despite Shapiro's explicit repudiation of that movement.

Concept

Shapiro first laid out his ideas of Natural Genetic Engineering in 1992[1] and has continued to develop them in both the primary scientific literature[2] [3]and in work directed to wider audiences, culminating in the 2011 publication of Evolution: A View from the 21st Century[4].

Relation with Intelligent Design

In a 1997 Boston Review article,[2] Shapiro lists four categories of discoveries made in molecular biology that, in his estimation, are not adequately accounted for by the [[Modern evolutionary synthesis|Modern Synthesis]]: genome organization, cellular repair capabilities, mobile genetic elements and cellular information processing. Shapiro concludes:

What significance does an emerging interface between biology and information science hold for thinking about evolution? It opens up the possibility of addressing scientifically rather than ideologically the central issue so hotly contested by fundamentalists on both sides of the Creationist-Darwinist debate: Is there any guiding intelligence at work in the origin of species displaying exquisite adaptations that range from lambda prophage repression and the Krebs cycle through the mitotic apparatus and the eye to the immune system, mimicry, and social organization?[2]

Within the context of the article in particular and Shapiro's work on Natural Genetic Engineering in general, the "guiding intelligence" is to be found within the cell. (For example, in a Huffington Post essay entitled Cell Cognition and Cell Decision-Making[5] Shapiro defines cognitive actions as those that are "knowledge-based and involve decisions appropriate to aquired information," arguing that cells meet this criteria.) However, the combination of disagreement with the Modern Synthesis and discussion of a creative intelligence has brought his work to the attention of advocates of Intelligent Design.


Natural genetic engineering has been cited as a legitimate scientific controversy (in contrast to the controversies raised by various branches of creationism).[6] While Shapiro considers the questions raised by Intelligent Design to be interesting, he parts ways with creationists by considering these problems to be scientifically tractable (specifically by understanding how NGE plays a role in the evolution of novelty).[7]

With the publication of Evolution: A View from the 21st Century, Shapiro's work again came under discussion in the Intelligent design community. In a conversation with Shapiro, William Dembski asked for Shapiro's thoughts on the origns of natural genetic engineering systems. Shapiro's responsed that "where they come from in the first place is not a question we can realistically answer right now."[8] While Dembski sees this position as at least not inconsistent with Intelligent Design, Shapiro has explicitly and repeatedly rejected both creationism in general[9] and Intelligent Design in particular.[10]


Criticism

While Shapiro developed NGE in the peer-reviewed literature, the idea attracted far more attention when he summarized his work in his book Evolution: A View from the 21st Century. [4]In part due to its discussion of the Intelligent Design movement, the book was widely and critically reviewed.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Shapiro responded to the review in Evolutionary Intelligence.[20]

References

  1. ^ Shapiro, James A. (1992). "[Natural genetic engineering in evolution http://shapiro.bsd.uchicago.edu/Shapiro.1992.Gentica.NatGenEngInEvo.pdf]". Genetica. 86 (1–3): 99–111. doi:10.1007/BF00133714. {{cite journal}}: External link in |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Shapiro, James A. "Genome organization, natural genetic engineering and adaptive mutation". Trends in Genetics. 13 (3): 98–104. doi:10.1016/S0168-9525(97)01058-5. {{cite journal}}: External link in |title= (help) Cite error: The named reference "Shapiro 1997" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Shapiro, James A. "A 21st century view of evolution: genome system architecture, repetitive DNA, and natural genetic engineering". Gene. 345 (1): 91–100. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2004.11.020. {{cite journal}}: External link in |title= (help)
  4. ^ a b Shapiro, James A. (2011). Evolution: A View from the 21st Century. FT Press. p. 272. ISBN 978-0132780933.
  5. ^ Shapiro, James A. (2012). "Cell Cognition and Cell Decision-Making". Huffington Post. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |day= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Koperski, Jeffrey (2008). "Two bad ways to attack intelligent design and two good ones" (PDF). Zygon. 43 (2): 443–449. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Shapiro, James A. (2002). "Genome Organization and Reorganization in Evolution: Formatting for Computation and Function" (PDF). Proceedings of the New York Academy of Sciences (981): 111–134.
  8. ^ Dembski, William (2012). "Is James Shapiro a Design Theorist?". Evoltion News and Views. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |day= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Shapiro, James A. (2012). "What Is the Best Way to Deal With Supernaturalists in Science and Evolution?". Huffington Post. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |day= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ Shapiro, James A. (2012). "Evolutionary Lessons From Superbugs". Huffington Post. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |day= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Moran, Laurence A (2011). "(Review) Evolution: A View from the 21st Century". Reports of the National Center for Science Education. 32.3 (9): 1–4. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  12. ^ Seoighe, Cathal (2012). "(Review) Evolution: A View from the 21st Century". Trends in Evolutionary Biology. 4 (e6): 32–33.
  13. ^ Bezak, Eva (2011). "(Review) Evolution: A View from the 21st Century". Australasian Physical & Engineering Science in Medicine. 34 (4): 643–645. doi:10.1007/s13246-011-0110-4.
  14. ^ Penny, David (2012). "(Review) Evolution: A View from the 21st Century". Systematic Biology. doi:10.1093/sysbio/sys006. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Wilkins, Adam S. (2012). "(Review) Evolution: A View from the 21st Century". Genome Biology and Evolution. doi:10.1093/gbe/evs008. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  16. ^ Buratti, Emanuele (2012). "Evolutionary Lessons for 21st Century Molecular Biotechnologists". Molecular Biotechnology. 52 (1): 89–90. doi:10.1007/s12033-011-9472-9.
  17. ^ Li, Haipeng (2011). "Beyond our naked eyes". Journal of Molecular Cell Biology. 4 (1): 63. doi:10.1093/jmcb/mjr048. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Yu, Xiaobo (2012). "A provocative view of evolution in the genomic age". Frontiers in Biology. 7 (2): 93–95. doi:10.1007/s11515-012-1203-5.
  19. ^ Ussery, David W. (2011). "Natural Genetic Engineering: Intelligence & Design in Evolution?" (PDF). Microbial Informatics and Experimentation. 1 (11).
  20. ^ Shapiro, James A. (2012). "Response to Pauline Hogeweg's review of my book, "Evolution: a view from the 21st century"". Evolutionary Intelligence. doi:10.1007/s12065-012-0074-7.
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