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The Origin of Biological Information

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The Origin of Biological Information
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340
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Manfred Eigen shared the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with the two British chemists Ronald Norrish and George Porter. Working at the interface of chemistry and physics, the three scientists had developed means of studying the time course of chemical reactions which take place on a nanosecond scale (a nanosecond is 0.0000001 % of a second). Such reactions were previously thought to be immeasurably fast. As is done by a rather small number of Nobel Laureates, in the years following upon the award, Eigen then turned his attention to a totally different field of interest. This is the field of evolutionary biology and the generation of biological information and these are also the subjects of the present lecture, which is the first lecture Eigen gave in Lindau. With the aid of some simple “games”, as Eigen calls them, he explains the basic principles of evolution. And since Eigen has to admit that his “games”, while highly insightful, are too repetitive and boring to be played by humans, he uses a computer for his demonstration. Remarkably, Eigen’s talk is clear enough to be easily followed even without a video recording of his computer experiments.The lecture begins with an introduction on the power of evolution with respect to the generation of biological information using the example of cytochrome c, a rather simple protein made of about 100 amino acids. If someone wanted to synthesize all the possible variants of such a 100 amino acid protein simultaneously, he would require more room and mass than available in our entire universe, Eigen points out. Or, if one would give a cell the task to synthesize all these variants sequentially, one after the other, this cell would be busy for much longer than there has been life on earth. So which properties of matter allow nature to make a protein as efficient as cytochrome c in such a targeted way, avoiding the necessity to try all variants? What are the molecular prerequisites of evolution? With the aid of his computer games, Eigen gives the answer to these questions. Evolution requires metabolism, self-reproduction and mutation. In this troika, self-reproduction is the mechanism that allows the “storage” of evolutionary successful biological information. The extent of information that can be stored in a biological system thus essentially depends on reproduction accuracy, Eigen explains. He furthermore introduces aspects of his own theory of the origin of life, the quasispecies and the hypercycle. From the 1990s on, the insight emanating from Eigen’s concepts found extensive application in the field of “directed evolution”. Here, proteins are “engineered” by mimicking evolution in a test tube. The products of such “directed evolution” experiments have found widespread application as biocatalysts for industrial processes.In his active research career, Manfred Eigen traversed the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine and biology with impressive vigour. Still, by no means do his talents end at the natural sciences. During some of the 19 Lindau meetings he participated in thus far, Eigen gave something rather different from scientific talks: piano concerts. By this virtue he belongs to the select few Nobel Laureates who have performed live music at a Lindau meeting. David Siegel
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumSausagePorter, GeorgeGeneral chemistryLecture/ConferenceMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredFarmerMoleculeProteinCytokineMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredProteinMoleculeGeneral chemistryMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredReaction mechanismProteinMoleculeSpeciesNatural selectionAqua destillataMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredNatural selectionMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredNatural selectionPhysikalische EigenschaftSubsidenceMoleculeMeeting/Interview
NobeliumWine tasting descriptorsEigen, ManfredAtomMoleculeArsenicMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumMoleculeProcess (computing)AtomSetzen <Verfahrenstechnik>Meeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredMoleculeChemistMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredLaw of mass actionChemistMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredProteinMeeting/Interview
Limiting oxygen indexEigen, ManfredNobeliumStress (mechanics)Natural selectionMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumNatural selectionMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredNatural selectionZwischenstufe <Chemie>Meeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumNatural selectionLodeMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredNatural selectionElectronic health recordAbbaureaktionMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredReactive oxygen speciesGermanic peoplesMetabolismChemical reactionProcess (computing)BrotRevenueKatalyseMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredKatalyseNatural selectionLebensdauerMoleculeProcess (computing)Nucleic acidMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumPorterNucleic acidProcess (computing)ProteinWaterfallPhysikalische EigenschaftSpeciesMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredQuasispeziesSpeciesPeptide sequenceMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredLebensdauerSurvival skillsSpeciesSt John's wortBottling lineQuasispeziesMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredQuasispeziesLebensdauerSunscreenSpeciesNatural selectionMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredSunscreenBlausäureMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredSunscreenMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredMoleculeSelf-replicationNucleotideSunscreenMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredPorter, GeorgeReactive oxygen speciesTemplate <Biochemie>Amino acidKrankheitsübertragungProteinNucleotideNucleic acidMoleculeMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredPotenz <Homöopathie>Nucleic acidNatural selectionSunscreenMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumHydrolyseAcidMoleculeNucleotideEnzymeGeneCell (biology)Meeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredReactive oxygen speciesEukaryoteBeerMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredPeptide sequenceAusgangszustandLebensdauerMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredNucleic acidLebensdauerBase (chemistry)Setzen <Verfahrenstechnik>MoleculeMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumMoleculePhysikalische EigenschaftLebensdauerPeptide sequenceMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredMoleculeSetzen <Verfahrenstechnik>Sample (material)Meeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredFlourMethaneMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredPeptide sequenceMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumPeptide sequenceLife expectancyNucleotideNucleic acidMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredNucleic acidPeptide sequencePlasticSunscreenChemische AnalyseNucleotideGeneMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumNucleotideEnzymeSunscreenPurinMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredSunscreenLife expectancyMoleculeOxideMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredNucleotideReaction mechanismDNA replicationMoleculeEnzymeAmino acidNucleic acidLife expectancyBarrierNatural selectionFarmerSt John's wortMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumDNA replicationBase (chemistry)Reaction mechanismReplikasenMultiprotein complexNucleotideEnzymeNucleic acid double helixTemplate <Biochemie>Meeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredDNA replicationNucleic acid double helixReaction mechanismMoleculeNucleotideEnzymeMultiprotein complexPolymerasenMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredDNA replicationEnzymeDessertAhrNucleotideReaction mechanismBiochemistryMultiprotein complexBase (chemistry)LigasenAngular milPolymerasenMolecular and Cellular BiologyExonucleasenRadiation damageMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredExonucleasenReaction mechanismDNS-Polymerase <beta->PolymerasenNucleotideSunscreenEnzymeBarrierSpring (hydrology)DNA replicationMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredHydroglimmerBranch (computer science)Reaction mechanismCell (biology)Chemische AnalyseRock (geology)Peptide sequenceGeneMoleculeNucleotideSunscreenGenomeExonucleasenMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumNucleotideMoleculeMeatSunscreenHomöopathLakeMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredLimiting oxygen indexSolutionMoleculeDNA replicationGesteinsglasSchnelle ReaktionProcess (computing)Langsame ReaktionNucleic acidBase (chemistry)NucleotideProteinMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredNobeliumNucleotideGeneral chemistryNucleic acidTideTranslation (biology)Physikalische EigenschaftEnzymsystemBarrierDNACell (biology)MoleculeStillstandSpeciesAcidKleines MolekülMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredKleines MolekülMoleculeSelf-replicationAzo couplingSt John's wortMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredReactive oxygen speciesSolutionMoleculeSt John's wortSelf-replicationMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredLife expectancyGeneral chemistryMilkOrganisches MolekülMoleculeChemical compoundProteinSelf-replicationNatural selectionSpeciesFiningsMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredChemical compoundCoalLakeSpeciesSt John's wortElectrical breakdownProcess (computing)Catalytic converterGenetic disorderMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredGenetic disorderCancerCatalytic converterSolutionSt John's wortMeeting/Interview
NobeliumEigen, ManfredGeneral chemistryWave propagationGermanic peoplesSt John's wortMeeting/Interview
Eigen, ManfredSt John's wortWave propagationMeeting/Interview
Transcript: German(auto-generated)