
How did molecular machines evolve? - llambda
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/01/researchers-resurrect-lost-proteins-to-understand-molecular-machines.ars
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polyfractal
The protein complex they are studying here is the ATP Synthase, one of the
coolest protein complexes in my opinion. When run in one direction, the
complex uses ATP to pump H+ ions across the membrane (against the chemical
gradient). When run in the other direction, it uses diffusion and H+ chemical
gradients to generate ATP.

Sounds cool, but watch how it works:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOSyGTYCRFw>

A more stylized explanation: <http://wwww.youtube.com/watch?v=yU3NsIfyhfI>

The molecular mechanism up close: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_mZGTB5uKg>

Sadly, this awesome example of evolution is one of the poster-children for
creationists.

Bonus video, this one is a classic and really great. The Inner Life of a Cell:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEzRz1jmqNA>

~~~
Nick_C
> Sadly, this awesome example of evolution is one of the poster-children for
> creationist

Coincidentally, last night's TV had "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on
Trial" where they rebutted the creationist view quite successfully, at least
to my non-expert eyes.

The gist of it was that you plainly see the components of the engine in a
needle-like syringe found in other bacteria. It had the shaft, collars and
other bits.

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scrozier
(Re)creating ancestral forms of current proteins. Seems obvious once you say
it, but I don't recall hearing about it while in grad school recently.

What a beautiful thing it would/will be to see the evolution of a complex
protein complex like the ATP synthase as a series of animations, such as that
linked to by @polyfractal. A first glimpse into the development of complexity.

I like to imagine the billions of these little machines spinning around inside
me right now!

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maeon3
Via natural selection caused by the physical properties of the universe,
specifically that objects in an area retain their complexity and uniformity of
physics in space where a looping feedback cycle that works in one area will
work in another. molecular machines and humans, we are a strange loop.

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ThaddeusQuay2
Slowly. Very, very, slowly.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engines_of_Creation>

