Archaea

Simultaneous aerobic and anaerobic respiration in a Yellowstone thermophile challenges scientific norms

Montana State University has long been a hub for research on the many unique features of nearby Yellowstone National Park, and now a doctoral student in one of the university's microbiology laboratories has published a paper on how some hot-spring-dwelling organisms thrive in their extreme environments.

Newly discovered deep-sea enzyme breaks down PET plastic

Plastic pollution is increasingly affecting the health of coasts and oceans. One well-known problem is plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate, or PET.

Extracellular cytochrome nanowires appear to be ubiquitous in microbes

A Geobacter bacteria isolated from a contaminated ditch in Oklahoma has an unusual appendage—a long extracellular nanowire that can conduct electricity. The electron transport chain in this nanowire carries electrons from the bacteria to an insoluble external electron acceptor to help the microbe make energy. Such long-range electron transfers at a micron-scale are thought to have played an important role in microbial metabolism on the early Earth.

New clues about origin of complex life trace roots to common ancestor

Thor, the legendary Norse god from the mythological city of Asgard, is not alone. According to groundbreaking research published in the journal Nature, we humans—along with eagles, starfish, daisies and every complex organism on Earth—are, in a sense, Asgardians.