The movement or acquisition of genetic material between organisms that is not the result of vertical inheritance (reproduction) is called horizontal (or lateral) gene transfer. Horizontal gene ...

Decomposers are crucial for keeping Earth habitable, breaking down dead biomass and returning key nutrients, such as carbon, ...

Researchers at the Kiel Evolution Center have investigated for the first time in detail how a fungus important for biological plant protection can pass on an advantageous chromosome horizontally, ...

The dissemination of mobile antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) via horizontal gene transfer is a significant threat to public health globally. The flow of ARGs into and between pathogens, however, ...

Scientists explored the evolutionary success of leaf beetles, the most diverse herbivores on Earth. They showed that symbioses with bacteria have evolved repeatedly and independently in different ...