GoKawiilScientists grow rare Asgard archaea in lab, illuminating eukaryote origins
Researchers have managed to culture Asgard archaea, elusive microbes first identified from deep-sea sediment DNA in 2015, allowing direct study beyond genetic sequencing alone. One such culture, dubbed 'Skadi,' was recently transported across the US by a scientist determined to keep it alive and stable for continued research.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Asgard archaea are now widely viewed as the evolutionary ancestors of all eukaryotic life, reshaping the tree of life into just two domains—archaea and bacteria. Being able to grow and study live cultures, rather than relying solely on fragmented genetic data, could finally reveal how complex cellular life first emerged from simpler organisms.
- Asgard archaea were discovered via DNA in 2015 and are now linked to the ancestry of all complex life
- Scientists have struggled for years to isolate and culture these microbes due to their scarcity in nature
- New stable lab cultures could help clarify how eukaryotic cells evolved from archaeal ancestors
Source: nature.com — Quill, 2026-09-16
Published there as: “These bizarre, much-coveted microbes are revealing the origins of complex life”
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