Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a scientific approach that aims to study the molecular basis of adaptation. It is a widely used tool that facilitates a deeper understanding of the genetic and/or metabolic pathways of evolution. One of the primary objectives of experimental evolution is to predict which mutations are the significant drivers of adaptation. The use of re-sequencing of the entire genome facilitates the identification of mutations that occurred during ALE, and consequently, the biochemical changes that occurred with the experimental lines. In addition to its theoretical aspects, ALE also has a practical side. It represents an innovative approach to creating evolved strains of microbes with desired characteristics, such as rapid growth, stress resistance, efficient use of various substrates, and the production of products with sufficiently high added value (amino acids, ethanol, aromatic compounds, lipids). The review presents the results of studies explaining and demonstrating the relationship of mutations with the observed phenotypic and biochemical changes, as well as the possibilities of microorganisms as model objects for conducting laboratory evolutionary experiments and testing various evolutionary hypotheses. The objective of this study was to emphasize the accomplishments attained by virtue of the ALE strategy, whilst concomitantly highlighting outstanding concerns and the unresolved limitations of the method.
Dunaevsky et al. (Wed,) studied this question.