Archaeal cells shape-up: Tubulin-like proteins in control of cell shape differentiation. Image by Dr Iain Duggin
It's an ancient type of microorganism that makes up 20 per cent of the Earth's biomass, yet only now are scientists revealing the secrets of archaea.
In an international collaboration between research teams in Cambridge UK and Sydney, the function of a newly-discovered family of proteins associated with archaea has been uncovered, throwing light on an ancient protein superfamily that is vital for almost all life on earth.
The research, led by Dr Iain Duggin, Research Fellow at UTS's ithree institute, has been published recently in the journal Nature.
Read the full story in the Newsroom.