Tag: PNAS


  • Low-Temperature Limits for Motility in a Eukaryotic Cell: Ice-Gliding Diatoms in Arctic Ice

    Low-Temperature Limits for Motility in a Eukaryotic Cell: Ice-Gliding Diatoms in Arctic Ice

    Introduction: Cold-Weather Motility and the Arctic Microbial World In the harsh Arctic environment, ice-entrapped diatoms persist and thrive far from temperate waters. These ice-dwelling phytoplankton navigate a frozen maze, accessing light and nutrients that would otherwise be out of reach. Our study presents direct cellular observations of diatoms embedded in ice and demonstrates a remarkable…

  • Low Temperature Limits for Motility in Arctic Ice Diatoms

    Low Temperature Limits for Motility in Arctic Ice Diatoms

    Overview: Arctic ice diatoms and ice gliding In the harsh Arctic environment, ice-dwelling diatoms endure extreme cold, variable brine pockets, and constrained liquid pathways within the ice. Our study provides direct cellular observations of these microorganisms embedded in ice and reveals a previously undocumented ice-gliding ability that helps them navigate the ice matrix to reach…

  • Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals Revealed by MIT Study

    Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals Revealed by MIT Study

    Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals – What the New MIT Findings Suggest A team of MIT geochemists has sparked renewed debate about the origins of animal life by presenting evidence from some of the planet’s oldest rocks. In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers argue…

  • Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals—Ancient Origins

    Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals—Ancient Origins

    Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals — New clues from ancient rocks In a study highlighted by scientists today, MIT geochemists report new evidence from some of the planet’s oldest rocks that suggests the ancestors of modern sea sponges could be among the first animals to emerge on Earth. The findings, published in the Proceedings of…

  • Ancient Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals Revealed by MIT

    Ancient Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals Revealed by MIT

    Overview A new study from researchers at MIT in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences adds a provocative twist to the story of life on Earth. The team argues that some of the very first animals may have been ancestors of the modern sea sponge, a line of inquiry that could push back…