Natural evolution mutagenesis methods

Natural selection works through the complementary processes of mutation and genetic reassortment by recombination. The oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis methods used in the foregoing examples do not allow for recombination instead, mutations are combined manually to optimize a protein sequence. Willem Stemmer at Maxygen invented a method of directed evolution that uses both mutation and recombination. This method, called... 

There is some evidence to support the notion that rapid adaptation of function is better achieved by having access to more nonconservative amino-acid substitutions. Still, point mutation methods such as error-prone PCR remain most suitable for attempts to mimic natural evolution or to retrace history. Further functional adaptation may be achieved by saturation mutagenesis at sites identified during random mutagenesis experiments (Miyazaki et al., 1999). 

---