Czech scientists discover organism that is able to adapt to changes in its gene structure

A team of Czech scientists say that they have discovered a parasite with a uniquely chaotic gene structure unreadable to viruses. Their research has since been published in the prestigious science journal Nature. The team believes its findings could also help treat human diseases in the future.

The whole discovery began by studying a previously unknown parasite of the trypanosoma genus found inside a beetle near the ruins of Trosky castle. Leoš Valášek from the Institute of Microbiology at the Czech Academy of Sciences says that, unlike the vast majority of organisms, it was difficult to find where the parasite’s individual gene code starts and where it ends.

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Authors: Thomas McEnchroe, Andrea Skalická