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Bhattacharya lab resolves big question in endosymbiosis research

Cyanophora paradoxa An international team of researchers led by the Bhattacharya lab (including lab members Dana Price, CX Chan, Jeferson Gross, Veeran Divino Rajah, and Debashish Bhattacharya) established the frequency of plastid endosymbiosis in the tree of life as recently published in the journal Science.

Endosymbiosis resulted in plastids that are the machines of photosynthesis and sustain ecosystems. This work was made possible by determining the complete genome sequence (using the Illumina genome sequencer in the Bhattacharya lab) of the single-celled alga Cyanophora paradoxa.

The work demonstrates that the remarkable "accident" of evolution that resulted in the acquisition of photosynthesis by algae and plants occurred a single time in our planet's history. This accident relied on three partners to have success, the algal host, the cyanobacterial endosymbiont (that became the plastid) and intracellular chlamydial parasites. The research substantiates one of the central ideas of endosymbiosis pioneer Lynn Margulis and was dedicated to her memory. You can read the article or articles about it in Science Magazine, Nature News, RU News, or Scientific American.