Primary Endosymbiosis: The Unseen Evolutionary Process that Revolutionizes Agriculture

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have observed two lifeforms merging to form a single organism through the process of primary endosymbiosis. This evolutionary event has only occurred twice in the history of the Earth – the first time resulted in the emergence of mitochondria, which gave rise to all complex life, and the second time saw the development of plants.

An international team of researchers, led by Tyler Coale at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has discovered 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 such as nitrogen fixation. 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 and be engineered into crop plants to improve their growth and productivity. The research papers were published in scientific journals Science and Cell, with contributions from institutions such as MIT, UCSF, and Kochi University in Japan.