Jonathan McLatchie

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

The Combinatorial Abyss: Why the Genetic Code Defies Chance

_{Jonathan McLatchie
May 7, 2026}

It is highly improbable that the genetic code could have evolved by gradual trial and error.

The Genetic Code: Two More Levels of Optimization

_{Jonathan McLatchie
May 6, 2026}

We have surveyed multiple levels at which the genetic code, far from a “frozen accident,” appears highly optimized across multiple independent constraints.

Stop Signals in Disguise: How the Genetic Code Guards Against Frameshifts

_{Jonathan McLatchie
May 5, 2026}

A frameshift mutation occurs as the result of indels (insertions or deletions) of a number of nucleotides that is non-divisible by three.

Introducing the Remarkable Genetic Code

_{Jonathan McLatchie
May 4, 2026}

The optimization of the genetic code for error minimization is made possible by the redundancy of the code. What is meant by redundancy?

The Set of Amino Acids Used in Life Is No “Frozen Accident”

_{Jonathan McLatchie
April 28, 2026}

Significantly, these data indicate that the space of usable amino acids is severely constrained.

Do the Asgard Archaea Hold the Keys to Eukaryotic Origins?

_{Jonathan McLatchie
March 6, 2026}

In 2015, a new superphylum of archaea was reported, having been discovered through metagenomic sequences of sediments.

Debating Intelligent Design, Critic Keith Fox Is Still Stuck on Old Talking Points

_{Jonathan McLatchie
February 27, 2026}

With DNA replication, it is unclear what other systems any of the components might be co-opted from.

Irreducible Complexity: A Reply and Challenge to Daniel Stern Cardinale

_{Jonathan McLatchie
February 6, 2026}

I invite Stern Cardinale to attempt to provide a plausible evolutionary explanation of the origins of a complex system such as DNA replication.

Could Genetic Mutations Be Non-Random? New Evidence for Mutational Bias

_{Jonathan McLatchie
January 28, 2026}

The researchers examined the emergence of a mutation in the human APOL1 gene that confers protection from African sleeping sickness.

New Peer-Reviewed Paper Defends Cosmic Fine-Tuning Argument

_{Jonathan McLatchie
January 14, 2026}

Fumagalli does not in the end state whether he himself lands on the multiverse hypothesis, cosmic design, or unknown physics as the best explanation.

New Paper Argues for the “Unreasonable Likelihood of Being”

_{Jonathan McLatchie
January 5, 2026}

How long did life have to get started? Endres notes that life on earth could not have emerged until after two early global sterilizing impacts.

To a Pro-Intelligent Design Paper, Biologist Jerry Coyne Reacts with Question-Begging

_{Jonathan McLatchie
September 16, 2025}

The paper seeks to elucidate the plausibility of naturalistic evolutionary processes generating a minimal living cell.

Recurring Design Logic in Attenuation Mechanisms

_{Jonathan McLatchie
July 30, 2025}

Despite the striking parallels between these systems in terms of the design logic, these attenuation systems are not evolutionarily related to one another.

Recurring Design Logic in Operon Regulation

_{Jonathan McLatchie
July 29, 2025}

As we see in these two examples, the design logic is the same. And yet, these two systems are not evolutionarily related to one another.

Fact Check: Has a Study Shown “How Bacteria Evolved Powered-Up Propellers”?

_{Jonathan McLatchie
July 17, 2025}

This is a classic case of the media overstating the evidence for some evolutionary claim.

Examples of Recurring Design Logic in Living Systems

_{Jonathan McLatchie
July 7, 2025}

Architects, painters, musicians, and other creators apply recognizable patterns of thinking to their craft, resulting in a trademark style that sets them apart from others. Can recognizable patterns of thinking also be found in nature's design? On this episode of ID the Future, Dr. Jonathan McLatchie, a resident biologist and fellow at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, dives into the microscopic world to explore examples of what he calls recurring design logic in living systems. These recurring themes and logic are widespread in diverse, often unrelated biological systems. On the perspective of intelligent design, they'd be expected. But an unguided evolutionary perspective would have difficulty explaining this compelling line of evidence.