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Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, March 2009, p. 14-21, Vol. 73, No. 1
1092-2172/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/MMBR.00002-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

GUEST COMMENTARY

How the Microbial World Saved Evolution from the Scylla of Molecular Biology and the Charybdis of the Modern Synthesis

Carl R. Woese1* and Nigel Goldenfeld2*

Institute for Genomic Biology and Departments of Microbiology and Physics, 1206 West Gregory, Urbana, Illinois 61801,1 Institute for Genomic Biology and Department of Physics, 1206 West Gregory, Urbana, Illinois 618012

SUMMARY

Summary: In this commentary, we provide a personal overview of the conceptual history of microbiology and molecular biology over the course of the last hundred years, emphasizing the relationship of these fields to the problem of evolution. We argue that despite their apparent success, all three reached an impasse that arose from the influence of dogmatic or overly narrow perspectives. Finally, we describe how recent developments in microbiology are realizing Beijerinck's vision of a field that is fully integrated with molecular biology, microbial ecology, thereby challenging and extending current thinking in evolution.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address for Nigel Goldenfeld: Institute for Genomic Biology and Department of Physics, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana IL 61801. Phone: (217) 333-8027. Fax: (217) 333-9819. E-mail: nigel{at}uiuc.edu. Mailing address for Carl R. Woese: Institute for Genomic Biology and Departments of Microbiology and Physics, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801. E-mail: carl{at}life.uiuc.edu

Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, March 2009, p. 14-21, Vol. 73, No. 1
1092-2172/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/MMBR.00002-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Doolittle, W.F. (2009). Eradicating Typological Thinking in Prokaryotic Systematics and Evolution. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 0: sqb.2009.74.002v1-sqb.2009.74.002 [Abstract]  


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