They are everywhere!

Scientists have discovered bacteria that live inside single-celled organisms, helping them produce energy by breathing nitrate instead of oxygen. This unique partnership, found in a freshwater lake in 2021 by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, challenges what we know about microbial life.

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Curious about how common these microbes are, scientists searched genetic databases and found them in diverse environments worldwide—including lakes, groundwater, and even wastewater. They identified four new species, two of which belong to a new genus called Azosocius (nitrate-associated).

Further research revealed that unlike the originally discovered bacteria, some of these microbes can also use oxygen.

This ability helps explain their widespread presence in both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor habitats. Scientists believe these microbes play a role in the nitrogen cycle by removing nitrogen oxides and even producing greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide.

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This discovery sheds light on microbial evolution and symbiotic relationships, showing how single-celled organisms adapt by partnering with bacteria. Researchers hope to further explore how these partnerships evolve and impact ecosystems.

The results of the study have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

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