In 2021, a team of researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory discovered inside the
Researchers study how microbes affect large-scale ecological processes and how, conversely, climate change affectsTo do this, they take samples of microbes in various environments.Scientists study the collected samples to see which genes the microbes are usingfor survival and how it affects the global cycles of key elements such as carbon, nitrogenand sulphur.
In their study, microbiologists analyze both the gene material of the cell itself and portable DNA - extrachromosomal elements that transfer genes between bacteria, archaea and viruses.
Studying samples of Methanoperedens from seasonal soilwetland in California, scientists have discovered a new type of extrachromosomal elements. Unlike the most popular circular plasmids, these are very long and linear structures. The DNA of such elements makes up to a third of the total length of the bacterial genome. Scientists have called such elements "Borgs".
A total of 19 different species of Borg have been discovered,some of which encode all the necessary cellular mechanisms to consume methane on their own. Researchers believe that these elements arose as a result of the assimilation of various microorganisms by bacteria and can be used to transport genetic material between cells.
Researchers have shown that an increase inBorg in the cell leads to an intensification of methane uptake. This means that such structures can be used to create controlled colonies of bacteria that will extract excess greenhouse gas from the atmosphere and fight global warming. In addition, the authors of the work hope that by analyzing the processes of DNA transfer using the Borg, it will be possible to create a new genetic engineering technology.
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