The Physics of Evolution and Adaptation in a Nanofabricated World

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In this proposal the PI will study the evolution of a bacterial population on a chip. The implications of the proposed work are at the heart of evolutionary dynamics from bacteria to higher organisms. One of the key ideas of the proposal is the exploitation of the important role that stress plays on the mutation of genes and the importance of viewing organisms from a collective perspective. These questions will be studied using a new technology that the PI has invented. There are two broad impacts of the proposed research. One is on understanding the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria and the proposed work will lead to understanding of the rules of engagement between bacteria. It will also start a new way of controlling bacteria: not by trying to kill them, but by learning how to control their inevitable presence. The PI also proposes to actively start educating high school teachers and high school students about the modern foundations of evolution.