Gerald F. Joyce coauthored work on generating genetic variation through error-prone polymerase chain reaction. Altering amplification conditions creates mutated copies that can be screened or selected, providing a source of variation for directed evolution.
The experimental distinction is between generating variation and selecting a useful molecular function: mutagenesis supplies candidates, while a separate assay determines which candidates meet the intended criterion.[ref]
Randomization of genes by PCR mutagenesis by R. Craig Cadwell and Gerald F. Joyce. Research topic and author attribution in the primary publication
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