Microbe May Push Photosynthesis Into Deep Water

摘要

The announcement this week of a bacterium that appears to derive energy from light despite living in the inky depths of an ocean threatens to overthrow the dogma that photosynthesis depends on the sun. The microbe may also offer clues about life on early Earth—or on other planets. Not everyone is convinced yet that the bacterium, discovered in 2003, is a natural resident of the deep sea. But if true, it could be a crucial piece of the puzzle of how photosynthesis evolved. "The results break new ground and are indeed surprising," says Bob Buchanan, a microbiologist at the University of California, Berkeley.