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