Breakthrough in Understanding How Complex Life Evolved in Labs
For the first time, researchers have successfully induced endosymbiosis—the process by which one microbe establishes a permanent home inside another—in a laboratory setting. According to a study published by scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, this experiment provides insights into how complex life forms, which rely on these cellular alliances, evolved.
Endosymbiosis is exemplified by mitochondria and chloroplasts, once independent bacteria that now function within eukaryotic cells. Through innovative methods, including a custom atomic force microscope and high-pressure solutions, the team injected the bacterium Mycetohabitans rhizoxinica into the fungus Rhizopus microsporus. Remarkably, both the fungus and the injected bacterium thrived, adapting to one another over generations, indicating a stable relationship could form relatively quickly.
“Symbiosis is the norm,” observed Vasilis Kokkoris, a mycologist from VU University Amsterdam. Researchers believe these insights could pave the way for synthetic biology applications, where engineered microbial partnerships could lead to innovative solutions in agriculture and medicine.
Weekly Newsletter
News summary by melangenews