Sep 20, 2020
In this podcast, returning guest
and computational biologist and author Eugene V. Koonin and Richard
examine intriguing angles of virus behavior. Dr. Koonin is a
contributor to Richard's upcoming book on viruses, and Richard sees
him as a cornerstone of his own biological knowledge.
An expert on the
origin and evolution of life, Dr. Koonin graces listeners with
fascinating ideas, such as
- Where viruses sit in the continuum of the evolution of life on earth in relation to ancient replicons and the first cells,
- What his definition of a virus is and how that collides with the categories of living/nonliving, and
- How he describes the "sensing" abilities of viruses and explains virus competition and identity.
Eugene V. Koonin is a senior
investigator at the National Center for Biotechnology Information
(NCBI), the National Library of Medicine, and the National
Institute of Health. He's the author of several books,
including
Logic of Chance: The Nature and
Origin of Biological Evolution.
One of a series where Richard interviews contributors to an
upcoming book, this conversation explores Dr. Koonin's early days
of studying virology and how far science has since come in
understanding the machinations involved. It was, in fact, his first
studies on virus genomes and trying to decipher those codes that
lead him into his present focus on computational
biology.
Richard steers him towards
several important questions on the nature of viruses and this gives
Dr. Koonin opportunities to speak on some of their most surprising
characteristics. He asserts that viruses are an intrinsic part of
the biological realm and have their own evolutionary fate or
trajectory; in other words, they experience their own selective
factors that in turn shape their evolution.
In this sense, he adds, they are substantially independent from
their host; however, they are also completely dependent on their
host for energy production. Therefore, they have same
characteristics of life and yet are missing others. It is the
tension in this mix of evolutionary force and obligate nature that
makes them worthy of such discussions. Listen in to enjoy this
intelligent entry into virus behaviors.
For more about his work, search
his name in science publication aggregates and see his website at
NCBI: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/research/groups/koonin/.
Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK