"Fungal infections can be a pain to eradicate. But new results show why these infections can take an even tighter hold on people or animals that are missing a specific protein. The international research team that discovered this protein, and its importance, named it MelLec. This protein helps fight
fungal infections by identifying a specific type of melanin that fungi make. Several aspects of this new discovery fit a creation-based model of creature adaptation.
Tiny pancake-shaped cells make up blood-vessel walls and produce MelLec. Many copies of MelLec lurk throughout blood vessels and possibly elsewhere, waiting for an invading fungus. As soon as MelLec senses the fungal melanin, it sends a signal inside the cell that summons roaming cells to come manage the invading fungus.
A common fungus named Aspergillis helps keep the earth clean. When an animal dies, this fungus, among others, begins to recycle the fresh carcass. Until it dies, the living animal must keep the fungus at bay. That’s where MelLec comes in. Without MelLec to detect fungi, they could more easily consume animals even while they’re still alive.
Guliuzza argues that internal mechanisms of adaptation, like biological sensors, comprise a little-explored realm of the life sciences that points to an ingenious Creator.
Guliuzza recently wrote, “Obviously, sensors play a key role in a design-based, organism-focused framework of adaptability.” The discovery of melanin-sensing MelLec aligns with design." ICR
Tiny pancake-shaped cells make up blood-vessel walls and produce MelLec. Many copies of MelLec lurk throughout blood vessels and possibly elsewhere, waiting for an invading fungus. As soon as MelLec senses the fungal melanin, it sends a signal inside the cell that summons roaming cells to come manage the invading fungus.
A common fungus named Aspergillis helps keep the earth clean. When an animal dies, this fungus, among others, begins to recycle the fresh carcass. Until it dies, the living animal must keep the fungus at bay. That’s where MelLec comes in. Without MelLec to detect fungi, they could more easily consume animals even while they’re still alive.
Fungal melanin lies outside the organism,
whereas the creature makes MelLec inside itself.
Guliuzza argues that internal mechanisms of adaptation, like biological sensors, comprise a little-explored realm of the life sciences that points to an ingenious Creator.
After all,
could raw melanin ever craft a protein designed to latch onto itself?
Does the fungus somehow specify how the host’s sensor should recruit immune cells to the area to manage the fungus?
Surely not. The creation option, although unpopular, at least posits a real Designer to explain high-tech design like miniaturized fungal melanin sensors.Guliuzza recently wrote, “Obviously, sensors play a key role in a design-based, organism-focused framework of adaptability.” The discovery of melanin-sensing MelLec aligns with design." ICR
