Abhinandan Sah

  I ndian Scientists Rewrite a 50-Year-Old Biological Rule: A Breakthrough in Understanding Bacterial Gene Regulation Background For nearly half a century, biology textbooks across the world have explained bacterial gene regulation using a widely accepted concept known as the “σ (sigma) cycle.” According to this model, sigma factors bind with RNA polymerase to initiate gene transcription in bacteria. Once transcription begins, the sigma factor was believed to detach from the RNA polymerase, allowing the enzyme to proceed with elongating the RNA strand. This model was largely derived from studies conducted on the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) , particularly focusing on its sigma factor σ70 . Over time, this concept became a fundamental principle in microbiology and molecular biology. However, recent research conducted by scientists from Bose Institute (India) and Rutgers University (USA) has challenged this long-standing assumption. Their findings, published in the presti...