Cells with bare minimum genes can still evolve as fast as normal cells: study

Around 5,000-10,000 years ago, dairy farming changed some people’s DNA. “What’s more important is that the rate of adaptation was not hampered by having a synthetically reduced genome.” Over 300 days, they found that the minimal cell also effectively regained all of the fitness it had lost due to genome minimisation and could perform as well as the non-minimised cell – suggesting that a ‘reduced’ genome is not a permanent curse. She also observed that using more independent cell populations or using media that didn’t encourage microbial growth as much could also shine light on the ways in which minimal cells evolve differently. Dr. Lennon agreed, saying that they may want to see whether “a minimal cell adapts as easily when maintained in different, perhaps more stressful environments.” ‘Something fundamental about evolution’ Nonetheless, the finding that the evolutionary potential of organisms remains very high despite their distinct evolutionary trajectories is a “very significant contribution to our understanding of microbial evolution,” according to Dr. Pande. From that perspective, “it is good to understand the minimal cell more, and to know that you can evolve those synthetic cells in interesting ways,” she said.