Washington DC, March 10 -- Researchers discovered a mechanism that drives the creation of multicellular life. They found that altered protein folding causes multicellular evolution.

In a new study led by researchers from the University of Helsinki and the Georgia Institute of Technology, scientists turned to a tool called experimental evolution. In the ongoing Multicellularity Long Term Evolution Experiment (MuLTEE), laboratory yeast are evolving novel multicellular functions, enabling researchers to investigate how they arise.

The study puts the spotlight on the regulation of proteins in understanding evolution.

"By demonstrating the effect of protein-level changes in facilitating evolutionary change, this work highlights why knowledg...