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Nanobacteria theory takes a hit

Nature (2008)Cite this article

Tiny 'living' particles may just be lumps of limestone.

They look like tiny bacteria, have been implicated in several diseases and have even been hailed as a completely overlooked branch of the tree of life. But are 'nanobacteria' genuinely alive? New research suggests that the answer is probably no.

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References

  1. Martel, J. & Young, J. D.-E. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 5549-5554 (2008).

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  1. Michael Hopkin
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This article is part of Nature's 'Next Week's News' experimental feature, in which readers pick the science topic they'd like to see explored in a full-length story.

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Hopkin, M. Nanobacteria theory takes a hit. Nature (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2008.762

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2008.762

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