Watson and Crick,SchrodingerandEinsteinall made theoretical breakthroughs that have changed the worlds understanding of science.
Today big, game-changing ideas are less common.
New and improved techniques are thedriving force behind modern scientific research and discoveries.
Three cutting-edge techniques the gene-editing toolCRISPR,fluorescent proteins, andoptogenetics were all inspired by nature.
Directly or indirectly, they will change the lives of everyday people.
Bacterial defense systems as genetic editors
Bacteria and viruses battle themselves and one another.
They are at constant biochemical war,competing for scarce resources.
One of the weapons that bacteria have in their arsenal is theCRISPR-Cas system.
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It is an unlikely candidate to ignite a revolution in biotechnology.
And fluorescent proteins have now been found inmany more species.
This technology proved its utility once again when researchers created genetically modifiedCOVID-19 viruses that express GFP.
But if a lamp is turned on, the algae will swim toward the light.
The single-celledflagellates so named for the whiplike appendages they use to move around dont have eyes.
Instead, they have a structure called an eyespot that distinguishes between light and darkness.
The eyespot is studded withlight-sensitive proteins called channelrhodopsins.
This technique, known as optogenetics, involves inserting the algae gene that makes channelrhodopsin into neurons.
Optogenetics might hold the key to treating debilitating and deadly brain diseases, such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons.
But optogenetics isnt only useful for understanding the brain.
And in mouse studies, the technique has been used tomanipulate heartbeatandregulate bowel movements of constipated mice.
What else lies within natures toolbox?
What undiscovered techniques does nature still hold for us?
