Newly Discovered Organism Resulting from Primary Endosymbiosis Promises Advancements in Agriculture and Evolution

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In a rare evolutionary phenomenon that has only occurred twice in Earth’s history, two lifeforms have recently merged into a single organism. This process, known as primary endosymbiosis, has resulted in the creation of a new organism that is vital to its host’s functioning. An international team of scientists led by Tyler Coale at the University of California, Santa Cruz, observed this occurrence between a species of ocean algae and a bacterium.

The algae engulfs the bacterium, providing it with nutrients and energy in exchange for functions it previously could not perform, such as fixing nitrogen from the air. The algae incorporates the bacterium as an organelle, becoming vital to its host’s functioning. This discovery has been published in scientific journals Science and Cell and may provide clues into engineering such an organelle into crop plants. The researchers involved in this groundbreaking discovery came from various institutions in the US, Japan, and Spain, further enhancing our understanding of evolution and agriculture.