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New Organism Challenges Definition of Life at Dalhousie

6/25/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A groundbreaking discovery at Dalhousie University has unveiled Sukunaarchaeum mirabile, a unique organism found in plankton that straddles the boundary between life and viruses. With just 238,000 base pairs of DNA, it depends on its host for survival yet possesses the ability to replicate, prompting a reevaluation of what defines cellular life. Peer review is forthcoming.

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Story summary

A groundbreaking discovery at Dalhousie University has unveiled Sukunaarchaeum mirabile, a unique organism found in plankton that straddles the boundary between life and viruses. With just 238,000 base pairs of DNA, it depends on its host for survival yet possesses the ability to replicate, prompting a reevaluation of what defines cellular life. Peer review is forthcoming.