박문호의 베스트북
마이크로코즘
칼 짐머
대장균
바이러스
생명의 역사
2011.11.11 14:25:10
대장균을 통해 우리는 유전자들이 생명을 유지하기위해 어떻게 협력하는지, 생명이 어떻게 무질서와 혼란으로 가득찬 우주에 도전하는지 알아낼 수 있다고 한다. 대장균과 인간생명의 유사점이 계속 발견되고 있다.
대장균도 진화의 산물이다.과학자들은 대장균이 돌연변이를 반복하며 진화하는 과정을 관찰한다. 그리고 대장균을 통해 인간과 대장균이 공유하는 고대역사, 모든 생명체의 시조인 세포의 기원이 포함된 역사, DNA 이전 세계를 볼 수 있다고 한다. 대장균은 인간의 오랜 역사에 대해 이야기해 줄 수 있을 뿐만 아니라., 인간의 이타주의,죽음의 원인에 대한 이야기까지 해 줄 수 있다고 한다.
흥미진진하다.
인간은 태어난 지 며칠 만에 수십억 마리 대장균에 감염되기 시작해서 죽을때까지 함께 살아간다. 물론 이 중에는 치명적인 대장균 변종들도 존재하지만 대부분의 대장균은 인체에 무해하다. 대장균은 사람 뿐만 아니라 지구상에 존재하는 대부분의 온혈동물들 몸 속에 살고 있다. 따라서 대장균을 이해하는 것은 생명의 역사와 함께 미래까지도 내다볼 수 있는 길이다. 누구도 상상하기 힘들었던 대장균의 소우주에 대한 경이로운 이야기를 담고 있다.
저자소개
'뉴욕타임즈' 과학 담당 기자. '내셔널지오그래픽' '사이언티픽 아메리칸'에 기고하며, '디스커버' 객원 편집자이기도 하다. 과학 저술가로서 최고 영예인 '2007년 내셔널 아카데미 커뮤니케이션 상'을 수상했다. '진화: 시간의 강을 건너온 생명들' '기생충 제국'을 포함해 5권의 책을 출간했으며, 존 사이먼 구겐하임 기념 재단과 알프레드 P. 슬로안 재단에서 연구를 지원받는다. 또한 '더 룸'이라는 블로그 운영자로서 상을 받기도 했다.
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The microbe was first identified in 1885 by Theodore Escherich, who was struck by the "massive, luxurious growth" it could achieve. He dubbed it "a common bacteria of the colon", having no idea of its prowess or future role. Renamed Escherichia coli in the following century, the microbe entered an unexpected role in research - from medicine to evolutionary biology. Zimmer stresses this role and its importance in science, technology, business and even government through this account. Understanding those roles is fundamental to understanding the importance of this fine book - and why it's important for you to read it.
E. coli long played an enigmatic role in science - it was "discovered" more than once. Microbiology, not unlike palaeoanthropology, was once divided between the "splitters" and the "lumpers". Was each similar but distinct new organism a new species or just a variation on a theme. In E. coli's case, the "lumpers" prevailed and Zimmer explains clearly about "strains" of E. coli and their significance to us. The "K-12" strain is the one chiefly used as a standard for biological research. It's considered harmless to humans - as one researcher demonstrated by drinking a water glass filled with it. On the other hand, not long after Escherich's discovery, a Japanese scientist who was trying to fathom an outbreak of dysentery, isolated a bacterium resembling the German's find. Thinking it a different species, they named it "Shigella". It wasn't a new species, it was a strain of E. coli. That strain "O157:H7" plays a large role in this book because it is a serious disrupter of the human gut. And we brought it into existence.
The ubiquitous nature of E. coli and the various strains identified rendered it the workhorse of biological research laboratories. It is easy to modify by changing conditions like food supplies, temperature and assaulting it with viruses or chemicals all provide answers to how it works. In so doing, it also explains to us how life works, and how it likely worked in the past. Advances in technologies not only provided maps of E. coli's genome, it was found the genome could be tampered with successfully. Genes could be removed and inserted. So long as the basic life-support genes were left unscathed, E. coli would merrily perform for the scientists. Viruses might be resisted or even ousted after an infection. More astonishing to early researchers, it was seen that E. coli could pick up genes from a virus or other microbes and change its own genome. Today, there are those contending viruses inserting genes into DNA have driven evolution itself. Why do we have over 3 billion base pairs in a genome with only 18 thousand working genes? Invading viruses in our ancestors - and those of E. coli - have left traceable remnants.
The author doesn't confine himself to accounts of laboratory research and analyses. E. coli research has led to numerous social and even legal questions. The latter is best revealed in a lively account of the recent trial in Dover, Pennsylvania. There, a school board insisted on biology teachers reading a challenge to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. The board demanded the adding of elements of the "intelligent design" proposal to the course. Zimmer's account of the testimony and witness exchanges resulted in the presiding judge dismissing "ID" as based on fallacious assumptions and bearing no scientific credibility. The social questions are broader and of greater concern. Forty years ago, as the potential for E. coli as a working tool to manipulate genetic information emerged, public outcry and researchers' own reflections on possibilities led to a brief interruption in "genetic engineering" efforts. With various safeguards in place, Zimmer explains, advances continued. He notes that fears about things like "Frankenfood" are generally baseless, given the long history of Nature's own tinkering with genetic processes. An informed, reasoned approach is required to determine which claims for benefits are possible and which threats, if any, need further addressing. He even manages to address issues in "exobiology", the prospect of either finding life on another planet, or introducing it there.
The wide sweep of topics, thoroughly and effectively addressed by this author make this book a treat to read and an asset to retain. It's Pulitzer or Aventis Prize material and deserves the highest recognition. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]