GoKawiilSingle archaeon shown to turn long-chain fatty acids directly into methane
Researchers report that a thermophilic archaeon from the Archaeoglobi group can oxidize long-chain fatty acids and produce methane entirely on its own, without needing a partner organism. The finding, described in a new Nature Microbiology study, challenges the long-held assumption that such hydrocarbon-to-methane conversion requires syntrophic cooperation between separate bacteria and archaea.