Anoxygenic phototroph of the Chloroflexota uses a type I reaction centre. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38480893/)

These scientists wanted to learn more about how certain bacteria use sunlight to make their own food. They studied bacteria that can do this for almost 200 years and found that there were some big gaps in their understanding. So, they decided to do an experiment with water from a lake to grow a new type of bacteria that can also use sunlight to survive. This new bacterium is special because it uses a different way to convert light into energy compared to other known bacteria that can do the same thing.

They found that this new bacterium belongs to a group of bacteria that typically use a different method to harness light energy. By studying the genes and behavior of this new bacterium, they were able to show that it is actively using this unique way to get energy from sunlight. Even though it uses a different method, they discovered that this new bacterium is related to other bacteria that use the more common way to convert light into energy.

Overall, this study helped the scientists understand more about how these bacteria evolved and diversified over time. It showed them that even though different bacteria may use different methods to get energy from sunlight, they all share a common ancestor that first developed this ability. This new discovery gives scientists a better understanding of how life on Earth has adapted to use sunlight for survival.

Tsuji JM., Shaw NA., Nagashima S., Venkiteswaran JJ., Schiff SL., Watanabe T., Fukui M., Hanada S., Tank M., Neufeld JD. Anoxygenic phototroph of the Chloroflexota uses a type I reaction centre. Nature. 2024 Mar 13. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07180-y.