Richard Eimer Lensk is the Hannah Professor of Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. His research focuses on the genetic mechanisms and ecological processes that drive evolutionary change, and has attracted worldwide recognition for the immediacy of its insights into this usually unseen "force."

In June 2008 the popular science magazine New Scientist printed a story about Lenski's twenty-year project examining the #evolution of E. coli. They reported that, as a result of several beneficial mutations, his organisms had acquired the ability to metabolize citrate — or more correctly an ability to transport it through the cell wall prior to metabolizing it. This was an entirely new ability for this species — an increase in complexity provided by a beneficial mutation. This beneficial trait was then fixed in the population by natural selection.

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https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Richard_Lenski

The Lenski affair was an attempt by politically-conservative activist lawyer Andrew Schlafly (creator of Conservapedia and endorser of creationism) to challenge the groundbreaking research of Michigan State University professor and National Academy of Science member Richard Lenski. Lenski and his student Zachary Blount had reported observation of evolution in bacteria. Schlafly wrote to Lenski demanding raw data, but Lenski refused citing Schlafly's lack of credentials as a qualified bacteriologist. Schlafly's challenge resulted in publicity on the Internet. Richard Dawkins discusses Lenski's research and the affair in his book The Greatest Show on Earth, referring to Schlafly's implied doubts about Lenski's results as an "impertinent suggestion".

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https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Lenski_affair