4 ms·
It is possible for it to have evolved in the last few decades, but really unlikely. The stated figure of less than 5% DNA commonality implies a really extensive
by icegreentea 13y ago
It is possible for it to have evolved in the last few decades, but really unlikely. The stated figure of less than 5% DNA commonality implies a really extensive divergence. Given the low energy environment it grows it, the bacteria likely reproduces at a very slow rate, making the divergence over the last few decades very unlikely.
That said, its probable that the strains discovered are probably some slight "modification" from the "wildtype" bacteria.
As for what they eat in a clean room, there are a couple options. A) They might be driven mostly by alcohol metabolism and feeding off residual alcohol from the containimation. Or might likely B) they're feeding off the skin flakes coming off the "unshielded" areas of the workers, and that they are just very very slow.
- tokenadult 13y agoThe stated figure of less than 5% DNA commonality implies a really extensive divergence. Your reasoning is correct, but in case you'd like to edit, I'll point out that the article wrote, "The scientists determined that T. phoenicis shares less than 95 percent of its genetic sequence with its closest bacterial relative." The figures "less than 95 percent" and "less than 5%" imply very different degrees of similarity.
- bananacurve 13y agoVery niche lifeforms by definition are hard to cultivate in a lab and therefore go undocumented and there are loads of them, more than we even suspect probably.