Fascination with Fluctuation: Luria and Delbrück’s Legacy

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Author(s)Robeva, Raina S.
Author(s)Jungck, John R.
Date Accessioned2024-02-06T17:48:56Z
Date Available2024-02-06T17:48:56Z
Publication Date2023-03-07
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Axioms. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/axioms12030280. © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
AbstractWhile Luria and Delbrück’s seminal work has found its way to some college biology textbooks, it is now largely absent from those in mathematics. This is a significant omission, and we consider it a missed opportunity to present a celebrated conceptual model that provides an authentic and, in many ways, intuitive example of the quantifiable nature of stochasticity. We argue that it is an important topic that could enrich the educational literature in mathematics, from the introductory to advanced levels, opening many doors to undergraduate research. The paper has two main parts. First, we present in detail the mathematical theory behind the Luria–Delbrück model and make suggestions for further readings from the literature. We also give ideas for inclusion in various mathematics courses and for projects that can be used in regular courses, independent projects, or as starting points for student research. Second, we briefly review available hands-on activities as pedagogical ways to facilitate problem posing, problem-based learning, and investigative case-based learning and to expose students to experiments leading to Poisson distributions. These help students with even limited mathematics backgrounds understand the significance of Luria–Delbrück’s work for determining mutation rates and its impact on many fields, including cancer chemotherapy, antibiotic resistance, radiation, and environmental screening for mutagens and teratogens.
SponsorFunding This research received no external funding. Acknowledgments The authors thank the editor for providing additional history and references to paint a more comprehensive picture of the post-Luria–Delbrück debates on Lamarckism. Raina Robeva acknowledges the support of the Karl E. Peace Fellowship in Mathematics at Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, USA.
CitationRobeva, Raina S., and John R. Jungck. 2023. "Fascination with Fluctuation: Luria and Delbrück’s Legacy" Axioms 12, no. 3: 280. https://doi.org/10.3390/axioms12030280
ISSN2075-1680
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/33947
Languageen_US
PublisherAxioms
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
KeywordsLuria–Delbrück
Keywordsfluctuation test
Keywordsstochastic models
Keywordsmutation rates
KeywordsPoisson distribution
Keywordsmathematics education
Keywordssimulations and manipulatives
Keywordslaboratory exercises
Keywordsproblem-based learning
KeywordsDarwinism vs. Lamarckism
TitleFascination with Fluctuation: Luria and Delbrück’s Legacy
TypeArticle
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