A Test of the Repeatability of Measurements of Relative Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Experimental studies of evolution using microbes have a long tradition, and these studies have increased greatly in number and scope in recent decades. Most such experiments have been short in duration, typically running for weeks or months. A venerable exception, the long-term evolution experiment (LTEE) with Escherichia coli has continued for 30 years and 70,000 bacterial generations. The LTEE has become one of the cornerstones of the field of experimental evolution, in general, and the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, in particular. Science laboratories and experiments usually have finite lifespans, but we hope that the LTEE can continue far into the future. There are practical issues associated with maintaining such a long-term experiment. One issue, which we address here, is whether key measurements made at one time and place are reproducible, within reasonable limits, at other times and places. This issue comes to the forefront when one considers moving an exper...利用微生物开展的进化实验研究拥有悠久传统，近数十年来，此类研究的数量与范畴均得到了大幅拓展。此类实验大多周期较短，通常仅持续数周或数月。一项极具影响力的特例是针对大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli）的长期进化实验（Long-Term Evolution Experiment, LTEE），该实验已持续开展30年，历经70000代细菌繁衍。总体而言，LTEE已成为实验进化研究领域的核心基石之一，尤为值得关注的是，它也是BEACON行动进化研究中心（BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action）的标志性研究项目。科研实验室与实验项目通常均有既定的存续周期，但我们期望LTEE能够长期延续下去。维持这类长期实验会面临诸多实际挑战，其中一项我们在此探讨的核心问题是：在合理误差范围内，于某一时间、某一场所开展的关键测量结果，能否在其他时间与场所实现复现。当考虑将某项实验（原文结尾未完整）时，这一问题便会凸显出来。