Hunt's 2007 Critique of Axe

[T_aquaticus]

@colewd

Yes the protein sequence that he mutated was half of total enzyme used. So post translational protein to protein binding occurred.

I don’t remember Axe assaying for protein-protein interactions for the different mutations, but I should probably go back and check.

@colewd

I don’t think this is Axe’s claim and Hunt’s main critique was not of Axe’s work but with the ID claim you mentioned. What Hunt’s paper showed is a range of probabilistic resources to find specific functions. Evolution does have to find specific binding targets so this study is problematic.

First, I don’t see why evolution has to find specific binding targets since there are tons of bacterial strains out there without a beta-lactamase gene. Humans don’t have a beta-lactamase gene and we do fine without it. Therefore, beta-lactamase doesn’t have to evolve.

@colewd

The sequence is a big problem for any blind and unguided claim.

How so?