Nitrogen fixation is a process that has long fascinated scientists, and a recent discovery has shed new light on this evolutionary event. An international team of researchers has observed a species of algae and a bacterium commonly found in the ocean merging to form a single organism through primary endosymbiosis. This phenomenon, which has only occurred twice in the history of the Earth, is known as secondary endosymbiosis.
Tyler Coale, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz, led one of two recent studies that uncovered this discovery. 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.
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, with the potential to be engineered into crop plants.
The research papers were published in the scientific journals Science and Cell, with scientists from institutions such as MIT, the University of California, San Francisco, and Kochi University in Japan contributing to the studies. This discovery highlights the importance of continued research into evolutionary processes and their impact on our world today.