Harnessing Nature for Environmental Stewardship

Join biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana and astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they discuss DNA survival in fossils and how mussels could help civilization. These new discoveries suggest theological and philosophical implications alluding to the reality of God’s existence.

Fuz surveys three key scientific papers on DNA survival in fossils and explains why the recovery of DNA fragments from fossils can’t be used to make the case that Earth is only 6,000 years old. Meanwhile, Hugh explains how mussels use adhesive properties to stick to almost any surface. Scientists from Rice University bioengineered bacteria, inspired by the mussel’s adhesive properties, that could rid the world’s oceans, rivers, lakes, and food stocks of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pollutants that threaten human health and civilization.

Links and Resources:

• The Half-Life of DNA in Bone: Measuring Decay Kinetics in 158 Dated Fossils
• A New Model for Ancient DNA Decay Based on Paleogenomic Meta-Analysis
• Deep-Time Paleogenomics and the Limits of DNA Survival
• Harnessing Nature-Inspired Catechol Amino Acid to Engineer Sticky Proteins and Bacteria