A rudimentary form of life that is found in some of the harshest environments on earth is able to sidestep normal replication processes and reproduce by the back door, researchers at The University of Nottingham have found.
The study, published in the journal Nature, centres on Haloferax volcanii — part of a family of single-celled organisms called archaea that until recently were thought to be a type of bacteria.
The findings, led by scientists from the University’s School of Life Sciences, could offer new insights into how defective cells can multiply out of control in diseases such as cancer.
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