GoKawiil
Tech News
Scientists cultivated the archaea Candidatus Lokiarchaeum ossiferum and Candidatus Micrarchaeum peptidophilum under strict anaerobic conditions and used live-cell imaging to observe their behavior. The study documents that these organisms extend dynamic, arm-like protrusions that enable them to physically crawl, a first direct visual record of locomotion in Asgard archaea.
Researchers characterized a hydrolase enzyme from a methanogen archaeon and used it to reveal structural details of archaeal peptidoglycan-like cell wall material, known as pseudopeptidoglycan. The work, conducted across several European research institutions including the Institut Pasteur, was supported by multiple national and European science funding bodies.
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.