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The Promise and Peril of Continuous In Vitro Evolution

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Abstract

Experimental evolution methods can be used to address and illuminate issues central to the understanding of evolutionary theory. One of the most powerful of these methods involves the in vitro evolution of nucleic acid enzymes, taking advantage of the direct relationship between the genotype of a nucleic acid sequence and the phenotype of its associated catalytic function. This review and commentary focuses on the past, present, and future potential of systems for the continuous in vitro evolution of nucleic acid enzymes as tools for modeling evolutionary processes in biology. It offers a candid appraisal of both the strengths and the limitations of these systems.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by Grant NAG5-9386 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Chemistry and Molecular Biology and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    Glenn C. Johns & Gerald F. Joyce

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  1. Glenn C. Johns
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  2. Gerald F. Joyce
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Correspondence to Gerald F. Joyce.

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Johns, G.C., Joyce, G.F. The Promise and Peril of Continuous In Vitro Evolution. J Mol Evol 61, 253–263 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-004-0307-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-004-0307-1

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