Dossier
Cyanobacteria
Coverage of Cyanobacteria in the Nexus archive.
- The tiny cell that broke a big rule of biology
Jon Zehr discovered genetic evidence of a previously unknown nitrogen-fixing bacteria in seawater samples, but the organism remained invisible under microscopes. The bacteria's existence challenged biological norms, as nitrogen-fixing enzymes typically break down in oxygen-rich environments.
- Scientists stunned as bacteria rewire DNA machinery to shape cells
Cyanobacteria, ancient microbes that oxygenated Earth and enabled complex life, have been found to repurpose a molecular system originally used for DNA separation into a structure that shapes their cells. This discovery highlights unexpected evolutionary adaptations in these ancient organisms.