2015 Leeuwenhoek Lecture by Professor Jeff Errington FMedSci FRS, at the Royal Society, London, March 17, 2015, open to the public, free, and no registration:
The cell wall is a crucial structure found in almost all bacteria. It is the target for our best antibiotics and fragments of the wall trigger powerful innate immune responses against infection. Surprisingly, many bacteria can switch almost effortlessly into a cell wall deficient “L-form” state. These cells become completely resistant to many antibiotics and may be able to pass under the radar screen of our immune systems. Discover how studies of L-forms have provided surprising insights into various aspects of bacterial cell physiology and biochemistry, as well as a model illuminating how the earliest true cells on the planet might have proliferated. More.
Yikes.
It sometimes makes one wonder if bacteria are smarter than people. But then where are they hiding the vast amounts of information that cannot be acquired randomly within the life of the universe, and must be stored and prevented from corruption? Bornagain77? Any ideas?
Here are some of the key origin of life puzzles.
See also: The Royal Institute of Philosophy and Cambridge University Press Essay contest: “Do Life and Living Forms present a problem for materialism?”
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