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Health & Science4h 4m ago
A new study found that cockroach genomes are riddled with DNA transferred from their endosymbiont bacterial partners, Blattabacterium cuenoti, with some Australian burrowing cockroaches carrying more than 3,000 bacterial DNA inserts.
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Australia
Who
cockroaches, Blattabacterium cuenoti, researchers
What
A new study found that cockroach genomes are riddled with DNA transferred from their endosymbiont bacterial partners, Blattabacterium cuenoti, with some Australian burrowing cockroaches carrying more than 3,000 bacterial DNA inserts.
When
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:20:08 GMT · 4h 4m ago
Where
Australia ·
Why
The study aimed to measure the true scale of bacterial DNA transfer from an obligate symbiont into an animal genome, using the relationship between cockroaches and Blattabacterium cuenoti as a model.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery significantly advances the understanding of horizontal gene transfer in complex organisms like animals, suggesting it is more common and impactful on genome evolution than previously thought. The persistence of these transferred genes over millions of years indicates potential functional roles that could reshape our understanding of biological evolution.
Story chain
4 events in this thread- Health & Science4h 4m agoA new study reports that cockroaches are riddled with DNA transferred from their endosymbiont bacterial partners, Blattabacterium cuenoti.Open article
- Currently Reading4h 4m agoA new study found that cockroach genomes are riddled with DNA transferred from their endosymbiont bacterial partners, Blattabacterium cuenoti, with some Australian burrowing cockroaches carrying more than 3,000 bacterial DNA inserts.
- Health & Science4h 4m agoA new study found that cockroaches are riddled with DNA transferred from another species, specifically from their endosymbiont bacterial partners, Blattabacterium.Open article
- Health & Science4h 4m agoA new study found 40,485 Blattabacterium-derived DNA inserts across 18 various cockroach genomes, with some Australian burrowing cockroaches carrying over 3,000 bacterial DNA inserts each.Open article