CRISPR–Cas is a widespread adaptive immune system in bacteria and archaea that
protects against viral infection by targeting specific invading nucleic acid sequences …

Photosystem II is the water-oxidizing and O2-evolving enzyme of photosynthesis. How and
when this remarkable enzyme arose are fundamental questions in the history of life that …

The nature of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), its age and its impact on the Earth
system have been the subject of vigorous debate across diverse disciplines, often based on …

The timing of early cellular evolution, from the divergence of Archaea and Bacteria to the
origin of eukaryotes, is poorly constrained. The ATP synthase complex is thought to have …

The origin of plants and their colonization of land fundamentally transformed the terrestrial
environment. Here we elucidate the basis of this formative episode in Earth history through …

Abstract Iron–sulfur (Fe–S) clusters are ubiquitous cofactors essential for life. It is largely
thought that the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis and progressive oxygenation of the …

Patescibacteria, also known as the candidate phyla radiation (CPR), are a diverse group of
bacteria that constitute a disproportionately large fraction of microbial dark matter. Its few …

Fluorinated organic chemicals, such as per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS)
and fluorinated pesticides, are both broadly useful and unusually long-lived. To combat …

Life harnessing light energy transformed the relationship between biology and Earth—
bringing a massive flux of organic carbon and oxidants to Earth's surface that gave way to …

Natural proteins are often only slightly more stable in the native state than the denatured
state, and an increase in environmental temperature can easily shift the balance toward …