Nylon-eating bacteria
Sp. K172, a strain of Flavobacterium, is a species of nylon-eating bacteria discovered in ponds that contained factory waste. What made this bacteria significant was that the enzymes they used to digest the factory waste (now known as nylonase) were unique to the particular strain.[1][2] An analysis of the genome suggests that the mutation that created this strain was a frame shift (for example mutating the word 'mutate' to 'mtate') and gene dupiclation.[3]
Since that time, Sp. K172 has been a central point of contention between the supporters of evolutionary theory and supporters of creation theory. Creationist scientists and intelligent design theorists contend that the bacteria in question cannot be adequately explained by the evolutionary view and instead claim that the bacterial plasmids was designed to be able to accommodate new food sources. [4]
References
- ↑ Kinoshita, S., Kageyama, S., Iba, K., Yamada, Y. and Okada, H. 1981
- ↑ http://www.nmsr.org/nylon.htm
- ↑ http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=345072
- ↑ http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v17/i3/bacteria.asp
