Some lake bacteria survive by slashing half their genome and never looking back
Researchers at the University of Zurich have analyzed the genome of bacteria living in Lake Zurich to conclude that microbes employ two different strategies to colonize new habitats. Some acquire new traits, as expected—but others reduce the size of their genome and lose some functions in order to s...
Image: Phys.org
Researchers at the University of Zurich have analyzed the genome of bacteria living in Lake Zurich to conclude that microbes employ two different strategies to colonize new habitats. Some acquire new traits, as expected—but others reduce the size of their genome and lose some functions in order to successfully move to a new home. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.
Originally published at Phys.org
