Richard Lenski: Difference between revisions

| thesis_url = httphttps://www.worldcat.org/title/effects-of-competition-and-disturbance-on-ground-beetle-populations/oclc/9150582&referer=brief_results

| website = {{URL|httphttps://myxolenski.cssmmg.msu.edu/}}

'''Richard Eimer Lenski''' (born August 13, 1956) is an American [[evolutionary biology|evolutionary biologist]],<ref>{{cite news | url=http://myxo.css.msu.edu/index.html | title=Richard Lenski | publisher=[[Michigan State University]] |year= 2008 | accessdate =2008-09-17}}</ref> a Hannah Distinguished Professor of [[Microbial ecology|Microbial Ecology]], Genetics and Evolution, and Evolution of Pathogen Virulence at [[Michigan State University]]. He is a member of the [[National Academy of Sciences]] and a [[MacArthur Fellows Program|MacArthur fellowFellow]]. Lenski is best known for his still ongoing {{age|1988|2|24}}-year-old [[E. coli long-term evolution experiment|long-term ''E. coli'' evolution experiment]], which has been instrumental in understanding the core processes of evolution, including [[mutation rate]]s,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Tenaillon|first1=Olivier|last2=Barrick|first2=Jeffrey E.|last3=Ribeck|first3=Noah|last4=Deatherage|first4=Daniel E.|last5=Blanchard|first5=Jeffrey L.|last6=Dasgupta|first6=Aurko|last7=Wu|first7=Gabriel C.|last8=Wielgoss|first8=Sébastien|last9=Cruveiller|first9=Stéphane|date=2016-08-11|title=Tempo and mode of genome evolution in a 50,000-generation experiment|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=536|issue=7615|pages=165–170|doi=10.1038/nature18959|issn=0028-0836|pmc=4988878|pmid=27479321|bibcode=2016Natur.536..165T}}</ref> [[clonal interference]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Maddamsetti|first1=Rohan|last2=Lenski|first2=Richard E.|last3=Barrick|first3=Jeffrey E.|date=2015-06-01|title=Adaptation, Clonal Interference, and Frequency-Dependent Interactions in a Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli|url=http://www.genetics.org/content/200/2/619|journal=Genetics|language=en|volume=200|issue=2|pages=619–631|doi=10.1534/genetics.115.176677|issn=0016-6731|pmc=4492384|pmid=25911659}}</ref> [[Antimicrobial resistance|antibiotic resistance]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lenski|first=R. E.|date=1998-12-01|title=Bacterial evolution and the cost of antibiotic resistance|journal=International Microbiology|volume=1|issue=4|pages=265–270|issn=1139-6709|pmid=10943373}}</ref> the [[evolution]] of novel traits,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Blount|first1=Zachary D.|last2=Borland|first2=Christina Z.|last3=Lenski|first3=Richard E.|date=2008-06-10|title=Historical contingency and the evolution of a key innovation in an experimental population of Escherichia coli|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=105|issue=23|pages=7899–7906|doi=10.1073/pnas.0803151105|issn=0027-8424|pmc=2430337|pmid=18524956|bibcode=2008PNAS..105.7899B|doi-access=free}}</ref> and [[speciation]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Meyer|first1=Justin R.|last2=Dobias|first2=Devin T.|last3=Medina|first3=Sarah J.|last4=Servilio|first4=Lisa|last5=Gupta|first5=Animesh|last6=Lenski|first6=Richard E.|date=2016-11-24|title=Ecological speciation of bacteriophage lambda in allopatry and sympatry|journal=Science|volume=354|issue=6317|language=en|pages=1301–1304|doi=10.1126/science.aai8446|issn=0036-8075|pmid=27884940|bibcode=2016Sci...354.1301M|doi-access=free}}</ref> He is also well known for his pioneering work in studying evolution digitally using [[Self-replication|self-replicating]] organisms called [[Avida (software)|Avida]].

Richard E. Lenski is the son of [[sociologist]] [[Gerhard Lenski]] and poet Jean Lenski ({{née}} Cappelmann).<ref>{{cite tweet |author= Richard Lenski |user= relenski|number= 501149475541618688 |date= August 17, 2014 |title= Photo of Richard Lenski and Gerhard Lenski for the father's 90th birthday |access-date= August 18, 2014 }}</ref> He is also the great-nephew of children's author [[Lois Lenski]] and the great-grandson of [[Lutheran]] commentator [[Richard C. H. Lenski]]. He earned his BA from [[Oberlin College]] in 1976, and his PhD from the [[University of North Carolina]] in 1982.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Campbell|first1=Neil A.|last2=Reece|first2=Jane B.|title=Biology|url=https://archive.org/details/essentialbiology00camp_0|url-access=registration|edition=7|pages=[https://archive.org/details/essentialbiology00camp_0/page/538 538]–539|isbn= 978-0-8053-7146-8|year=2005|publisher=Pearson, Benjamin Cummings }}</ref>

Lenski won a [[Guggenheim Fellowship]] in [[List of Guggenheim Fellowships awarded in 1991|1991]] and a [[MacArthur Award#MacArthur Fellowship|MacArthur Fellowship]] in 1996, and in 2006 he was elected to the [[United States National Academy of Sciences]].<ref>United States National Academy of Sciences member list, [http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/7066.html "Member directory"], ''Richard E. Lenski '', 2006</ref>

The ''E. coli'' long-term evolution experiment is an ongoing study in [[experimental evolution]] led by Richard Lenski that has been tracking genetic changes in 12 initially identical populations of asexual ''[[Escherichia coli]]'' bacteria since 24 February 1988.<ref name="Source">{{cite web |first=Richard E. |last=Lenski |url=http://myxo.css.msu.edu/ecoli/strainsource.html |title=Source of founding strain |publisher=Michigan State University |work=Richard E. Lenski Homepage |year=2000 |accessdate=2008-06-18 |archive-date=2018-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531192907/http://myxo.css.msu.edu/ecoli/strainsource.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The populations reached the milestone of 5075,000 generations in 2022.<ref>{{AsCite journal |last=Lenski |first=Richard |date=February 15, 2023 |title=Revisiting the Design of the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli |2010url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00239-023-10095-3 |02journal=Journal of Molecular Evolution |altvolume=in91 February|issue=1|pages=241–253 |doi=10.1007/s00239-023-10095-3 |pmid=36790511 |bibcode=2023JMolE..91..241L |s2cid=256869639 2010}}.</ref>

Since the experiment's inception, Lenski and his colleagues have reported a wide array of genetic changes; some evolutionary [[adaptation]]s have occurred in all 12 populations, while others have only appeared in one or a few populations. One particularly striking adaptation was the evolution of a strain of ''E. coli'' that was able to use [[citrate]] as a carbon source in an aerobic environment.<ref name=pmid18524956>{{cite journal |pages=7899–906 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0803151105 |title=Historical contingency and the evolution of a key innovation in an experimental population of ''Escherichia coli'' |year=2008 |last1=Blount |first1=Zachary D. |last2=Borland |first2=Christina Z. |last3=Lenski |first3=Richard E. |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=105 |issue=23 |jstor=25462703 |pmid=18524956 |bibcode=2008PNAS..105.7899B |pmc=2430337|doi-access=free }}</ref> A defining characteristic of ''E. coli'' is its inability to use citrate as an energy source under oxic conditions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Blount |first1=Zachary |last2=Borland |first2=Christina |last3=Lenski |first3=Richard |date=June 10, 2008 |title=Historical contingency and the evolution of a key innovation in an experimental population of Escherichia coli |journal=PNAS |volume=105 |issue=23 |pages=7899–7906|doi=10.1073/pnas.0803151105 |pmid=18524956 |pmc=2430337 |bibcode=2008PNAS..105.7899B |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Richard Lenski, [[Charles Ofria]], et al. at [[Michigan State University]] developed an [[artificial life]] computer program with the ability to detail the evolution of complex systems. The system uses values set to determine random mutations and allows for the effect of natural selection to conserve beneficial traits. The program was dubbed Avida and starts with an artificial petri dish where organisms reproduce and perform mathematical calculations to acquire rewards of more computer time for replication. The program randomly adds mutations to copies of the artificial organisms to allow for natural selection. As the artificial life reproduced, different lines adapted and evolved depending on their set environments. The beneficial side to the program is that it parallels that of real life at rapid speeds.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lenski|first1=R. E.|last2=Ofria|first2=C.|last3=Pennock|first3=R. T.|last4=Adami|first4=C.|year=2003|author2-link=Charles Ofria|author3-link=Robert T. Pennock|author4-link=Chris Adami|title=The evolutionary origin of complex features|journal=Nature|volume=423|pages=139–144|url=http://myxo.css.msu.edu/papers/nature2003/Nature03_Complex.pdf|bibcode = 2003Natur.423..139L|doi=10.1038/nature01568|pmid=12736677|issue=6936|s2cid=4401833|access-date=2013-08-20|archive-date=2021-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121232710/http://myxo.css.msu.edu/papers/nature2003/Nature03_Complex.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-07/msu-dou071801.php |title=Digital organisms used to confirm evolutionary process |accessdate=2011-03-21 |publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-05/nsf-ale050603.php |title=Artificial life experiments show how complex functions can evolve |accessdate=2011-03-21 |publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=Evolution of digital organisms at high mutation rates leads to survival of the flattest|author1=Richard E. Lenski |author2=Charles Ofria |author3=Claus O. Wilke |author4=Jia Lan Wang |author5=Christoph Adami |name-list-style=amp | journal=Nature| date=2001-07-19| volume=412| pages=331–3|doi= 10.1038/35085569| issue=6844 | pmid=11460163|bibcode = 2001Natur.412..331W |s2cid=1482925 |url=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/56230/2/412331a0_S1.pdf}}</ref>

* [http://myxo.css.msu.edu/ecoli/ ''E. coli'' Long-term Experimental evolution site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727225642/http://myxo.css.msu.edu/ecoli/ |date=2017-07-27 }}

[[Category:EvolutionaryAmerican evolutionary biologists]]