Scientists Re-Create the Microbial Dance That Sparked Complex Life
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich recreated endosymbiosis in a lab, demonstrating mutual evolution between bacteria and fungus, with potential applications in synthetic biology for enhanced organism capabilities.
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Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich have successfully recreated the process of endosymbiosis in a laboratory setting, marking a significant advancement in understanding how complex life evolved. Endosymbiosis occurs when one microbe lives inside another, leading to mutual benefits and the development of complex cellular structures, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts. The team, led by Gabriel Giger and Julia Vorholt, injected the bacterium Mycetohabitans rhizoxinica into the fungus Rhizopus microsporus, which had previously formed a symbiotic relationship in nature. They developed a method to penetrate the rigid cell wall of the fungus using a combination of enzymes and pressure from a bicycle pump. The bacteria successfully adapted to the fungal environment, reproducing without triggering an immune response, and both organisms began to evolve together. This experiment not only demonstrated the initial steps of endosymbiotic relationships but also revealed that both partners adapt to each other, a factor previously overlooked in studies of symbiosis. The findings could pave the way for synthetic biology applications, where engineered endosymbiotic relationships might be used to create organisms with new capabilities, such as enhanced nutrient processing or pollutant degradation.
- Researchers recreated endosymbiosis in a lab for the first time.
- The process involved injecting bacteria into a fungus using innovative techniques.
- Both the bacterium and fungus adapted to each other, indicating mutual evolution.
- The study enhances understanding of how complex life forms evolved through symbiosis.
- Potential applications in synthetic biology could lead to engineered organisms with new functions.
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Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich recreated endosymbiosis in a lab, revealing mutual adaptation between microbes and fungi, with implications for synthetic biology and complex life evolution.
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Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich recreated endosymbiosis in a lab, revealing mutual adaptation between microbes and fungi, with implications for synthetic biology and complex life evolution.