In a groundbreaking evolutionary event, two lifeforms have merged to form a single organism through the process of primary endosymbiosis. This has only happened twice in Earth’s history, resulting in the emergence of mitochondria and plants. A team of international scientists has observed this phenomenon happening between a species of algae and a bacterium commonly found in the ocean.
Tyler Coale, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz, led one of two recent studies that uncovered this phenomenon. The algae engulfs the bacterium, providing it with nutrients, energy, and protection in exchange for new functions such as nitrogen fixation from the air. The bacterium becomes an organelle within the algae, essential for its functioning.
The researchers believe that this discovery offers new insights into evolution and has the potential to revolutionize agriculture. Dr. Coale suggested that this system could provide a new perspective on nitrogen fixation and be engineered into crop plants for increased productivity and sustainability. The research papers were published in the scientific journals Science and Cell, with scientists from institutions such as MIT, UCSF, and Kochi University in Japan contributing to the studies.
