17 days ago
- Jon Zehr discovered genetic evidence of a new nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the 1990s but could not isolate the organism, leading to a decades-long search.
- Kyoko Hagino independently studied the algae Braarudosphaera bigelowii, finding an unexplained black dot inside it, which later proved to be the bacteria Zehr sought.
- Nitrogen fixation is crucial for life but limited to simple microbes due to oxygen sensitivity, creating a bottleneck with major agricultural and environmental impacts.
- Collaboration revealed the bacteria had lost many genes and relied on the algae for proteins, indicating a symbiotic relationship so close it resembled an organelle.
- The bacteria, now named Nitroplast, is the first known complex-life-derived organelle capable of nitrogen fixation, challenging biological rules and offering potential agricultural insights.
- The discovery highlights the unexpected nature of scientific breakthroughs, stemming from persistent, curiosity-driven research across disciplines and geographies.