As far as research subjects go, it’s not always easy to find common ground with a single-celled bacterium. Yet the more Paul Wiggins studies his model bacteria, Acinetobacter baylyi, the more he sees surprising commonalities between their behavior and our own as humans.
Scientists in Wiggins’ lab use experiments and modeling to understand the global principles that govern gene expression, and protein abundance in particular. In new research published March 20 in Science Advances, Wiggins’ team discovered that A. baylyi cells amass huge surpluses of essential proteins, rather than taking the seemingly more efficient approach of making just enough to survive. UW News chatted with Wiggins to learn about the remarkably relatable reason for this puzzling behavior.
Read more at UW News