Asgard archaea cultures reveal two-domain tree of life
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Researchers have established stable cultures of Asgard archaea, the microbes now considered the ancestral line of all eukaryotes. Six cultures have been reported since 2020, with more in development. The work supports a two-domain tree of life in which eukaryotes are a branch of archaea.
Key Facts
- Asgard archaea were first discovered in 2015 from DNA in North Atlantic sediments.
- The first Asgard archaea cultures were reported in 2020 and 2022, with four more announced since the start of 2025.
- Emily Aguilar-Pine transported a culture of Skadiarchaeum cthulhuensis 2,500 kilometres from Bozeman, Montana, to Austin, Texas.
- Hundreds of Asgard species have been identified from environmental DNA across various ecosystems.
Discovery and Significance
Asgard archaea were discovered in 2015 from DNA in sediments from the North Atlantic. The discovery changed views on the origin of eukaryotes, suggesting a close relationship with archaea. Analysis of Asgard genomes points to these archaea as the ancestral line of all eukaryotes. Most researchers now consider there to be only two domains of life: eukaryotes as a branch of archaea and bacteria as the other.
Culturing Efforts
The first Asgard archaea cultures were reported in 2020 and 2022. Four more cultures have been announced since the start of 2025. Emily Aguilar-Pine learned to care for Skadiarchaeum cthulhuensis from PhD student Stavros Trimmer at Montana State University. She transported the culture 2,500 kilometres to the University of Texas at Austin. Researchers are working on more Asgard archaea, encouraging slow-growing cells to proliferate over several years.
1 source
Time · lag behind first