Diatoms are Transgenic by Nature, says Study

Diatoms are small microscopic algae encapsulated by intrinsic, often striking, lace-work like shells of glass. They produce 20 percent of the oxygen we breathe by capturing atmospheric carbon and in so doing, counter the greenhouse effect. An international team of researchers led by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Paris published the complete genome sequence of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Their study appears in the current issue of the journal Nature.

According to Chris Bowler, lead author of the paper, diatoms are transgenic by nature. They have come to acquire advantageous genes from bacterial, animal and plant ancestors enabling them to thrive in today’s oceans. Diatoms ‘inherited’ photosynthesis from plants and production of urea from animals. What’s more, the tiny alga draws the best of both worlds—it can convert fat into sugar, as well as sugar into fat—extremely useful in times of nutrient shortage.

Read the full article at http://www.jgi.doe.gov/News/news_10_15_08.html The abstract of the paper published by Nature is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature07410