All complex life forms on Earth, including plants and animals, are made up of eukaryotic cells; they are more sophisticated than bacterial or archaeal cells, which are prokaryotic. Eukaryotes have ...

Phages (viruses of bacteria and archaea) are a ubiquitous top-down control on microbial communities by selectively infecting and killing cells. As obligate parasites, phages are inherently linked to ...

Prokaryotic single-celled organisms, the ancestors of modern-day bacteria and archaea, are the most ancient form of life on our planet, first appearing roughly 3.5 billion years ago. The first ...

Many prokaryotic cells are encased in a para-crystalline sheath composed of lattice-forming proteins, collectively known as the surface layer (S-layer). S-layer proteins are among the most abundant ...