Now that she has a clue as to how the code changes, Landweber is looking for further details of eRF1's evolution and firmer explanations for how organisms survive the change. Future experiments could involve taking the eRF1 gene from an organism with the standard genetic code, purposefully making alterations in it, then reinserting it into different organisms and seeing how it affects the interpretation of the genetic code. Another key task will be to find the eRF1 protein in many other organisms with standard and variant genetic codes to compare its structure and function. With a better understanding of the molecular machinery underlying the evolution of the genetic code in different organisms, biologists may gain a clearer picture of how simple genomes first evolved and how they gave rise to more complex genomes, like our own. The Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year, except during University breaks and exam weeks, by the Office of Communications, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
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