
Back to the roots – Archaea save the world
Living fossils allow us a glimpse into a time long past, for they have changed little or not at all over millions of years. The platypus or the horseshoe crabs are well-known representatives from the world of animals; among plants, horsetail, ginkgo or the box tree are considered such living fossils. But the world of microorganisms can also come up with living fossils: the so-called archaea are a special group of microorganisms, which are characterised by a special composition of the cytoplasmic membrane and sometimes also through specific cell envelope that is not found in bacteria or eukaryotic organisms…