Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026

Multi-target Parallel Processing Approach for Gene-to-structure Determination of the Influenza Polymerase PB2 Subunit
Published on: June 28, 2013
A Reflection on 50 Years of John Maynard Smith's "Protein Space"
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 brandon_ogbunu@brown.edu.
Abstract:
In 1970, John Maynard Smith published a letter, entitled "Natural Selection and the Concept of a Protein Space," that proposed a simple analogy for the incremental process of adaptive evolution. His "Protein Space" analogy contains the substrate for many central ideas in evolutionary genetics, and has motivated important discoveries within several subdisciplines of evolutionary science. In this Perspectives article, I commemorate the 50th anniversary of this seminal work by discussing its unique legacy and by describing its intriguing historical context. I propose that the Protein Space analogy is not only important because of its scientific richness, but also because of what it can teach us about the art of constructing useful and subversive analogies.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Organization
Protein Organization
Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to form...
Protein Organization
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence.
Conservation of Protein Domains
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to form...
Protein Organization
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence.

