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Betul Kacar on Muck Rack

Betul Kacar

As seen in: Color Research & Application, Nature, Wiley Online Library, ACS Publications, Flipboard, Big Think, BioRxiv, Cell Reports, Cell Press, Aeon and
Scientist. Origins of life, evolution, life beyond Earth. Lead @KacarLab www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67423-y
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Articles

Biological use of molybdenum and tungsten stems back to 3.4 billion years ago

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By Aya Klos, Morgan S. Sobol, Joanne Boden, Eva E. Stüeken, Rika E. Anderson, Kurt Konhauser, Betul Kacar
| Nature Verified
Abstract The biological significance of the transition metal molybdenum (Mo) lies in its function at the catalytic center of several enzymes that drive a wide spectrum of redox reactions underlying global biogeochemical cycles, yet a paradox persists. While modern life ubiquitously relies on Mo, geochemical evidence suggests that its availability in early Earth’s anoxic oceans was extremely limited.
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The case for useless knowledge

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By Betul Kacar
| Big Think Verified
BETÜL KAÇAR: There are some questions that we need to ask simply because we don't know the answer to these questions. My work looks into ancient life by studying ancient enzymes and tracking their evolution over long periods of time. First and foremost, it's completely curiosity driven discovery. I think it's important to realize that science doesn't necessarily need to serve humanity tomorrow. Ultimately, it comes from a place of just wanting to know, and isn't that enough?
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The ocean is evolving, and it’s not based on the ‘survival of the fittest’

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By Betul Kacar
| Big Think Verified
BETÜL KAÇAR: Evolution is not just about natural selection. I think when we think about survival of the fittest, we think about fitness being some sort of ruthlessness. Perhaps earlier depictions of evolution embedded some picture in our minds of a single organism being better or coming up with a solution that trumped everything around it. But it says more about ourselves than how biology works. Selection acts upon population. Everything that exists cooperates and learns and shares with each other.
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