Jonathan McLatchie

Resident Biologist and Fellow, Center for Science and Culture

Dr. Jonathan McLatchie holds a Bachelor's degree in Forensic Biology from the University of Strathclyde, a Masters (M.Res) degree in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Glasgow, a second Master's degree in Medical and Molecular Bioscience from Newcastle University, and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from Newcastle University. Previously, Jonathan was an assistant professor of biology at Sattler College in Boston, Massachusetts. Jonathan has been interviewed on podcasts and radio shows including "Unbelievable?" on Premier Christian Radio, and many others. Jonathan has spoken internationally in Europe, North America, South Africa and Asia promoting the evidence of design in nature.

Archives

McLatchie: Why Cell Division Challenges Darwinism

One of the most incredible features of cellular life is the capability of self-replication. But can a Darwinian mechanism take the credit for the origin and design of the cell division process? On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes a four-part series with Dr. Jonathan McLatchie on the intelligent design and irreducible complexity of eukaryotic cell division. In his recent paper on eukaryotic cell division, Dr. McLatchie quotes a Latin expression Darwin uses in his famous book On The Origin of Species to describe natural selection: natura non facit saltus: nature does not make jumps. That’s the built-in limitation of Darwinian processes: by default they are stepwise and gradual. And of course, Darwin himself acknowledged this test of evolution himself in

Engineered Elegance: The Checkpoint Pathways of the Cell Cycle

One of the most incredible features of cellular life is the capability of self-replication. And built into the remarkable process of cell division are several checkpoints that ensure the success of this life or death cellular practice. But can a Darwinian mechanism take the credit for this elegant cellular system? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid continues his four-part conversation with Dr. Jonathan McLatchie on the intelligent design and irreducible complexity of eukaryotic cell division. In this segment, Dr. McLatchie describes each checkpoint and the role it plays in successful self-replication. This is Part 3 of a four-part series.

McLatchie: How Motor Proteins Power Eukaryotic Cell Division

Could the components of the eukaryotic cell division process have arisen through a gradual, unguided process? On this ID The Future, Dr. Jonathan McLatchie casts light on the unlikelihood of this proposition as he continues a four-episode series with host Andrew McDiarmid on the intelligent design and irreducible complexity of eukaryotic cell division. In this segment, McLatchie dives into some of the key molecular machinery responsible for the success of mitosis: the mitotic spindle and the motor proteins that aid in its assembly and function, explaining why their origin is beyond the reach of a Darwinian process.

McLatchie: Intelligent Design in the Eukaryotic Cell Cycle

On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid begins a short series with Dr. Jonathan McLatchie delving into the remarkable design and irreducible complexity of the eukaryotic cell cycle. The pair review the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, the phases involved in eukaryotic cell division, and the concept of irreducible complexity. They explore how various components of the cell division process, such as kinetochores and microtubules, are essential for successful mitosis and why these systems are more likely the product of intelligent design rather than an unguided evolutionary process.

How the Origin of Our Digits Points to Process of Foresight

Let's talk about your digits. No, not your phone number - your fingers and toes, those dangling things on the ends of our hands and feet! Ever wondered how they form during embryonic development? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes back Dr. Jonathan McLatchie to discuss the incredible process of apoptosis that shapes our fingers and toes, and why the operation is better explained by intelligent design than a stepwise evolutionary process.

The Incredible Krebs Cycle

Earlier, I wrote about various obstacles to the evolutionary origins of the glycolytic pathway. As noted previously, the end result of glycolysis is pyruvate.

Sunlight And Water: Uniquely Fit to Sustain Life

f the sun didn't power the photosynthesis of green plants, we wouldn't be breathing right now. And without the finely tuned properties of water, Earth would be a frozen, lifeless wasteland. Coincidence? Or is something else at work? On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid continues his ongoing series with Dr. Jonathan McLatchie unpacking the many features of our planet and the cosmos that allow for advanced life like ours to exist. Here, the discussion turns to the life-friendly properties of sunlight and water.

The Life-Friendly Properties of Carbon And Other Non-Metal Atoms

In his book Darwin’s Black Box, biochemist Michael Behe writes that in order to understand the barriers to evolution, we have to “bite the bullet of complexity.” On this episode of ID The Future, Dr. Jonathan McLatchie is back to help us do just that! In the latest installment of an ongoing series, Dr. McLatchie talks with host Andrew McDiarmid about the remarkable properties of carbon and other non-metal atoms.