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Health & Science4h 0m ago

A 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.

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Australia

Who
cockroaches and Blattabacterium cuenoti
What
A 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.
When
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:20:08 GMT · 4h 0m ago
Where
Australia ·
Why
This extensive horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from the endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti to cockroach genomes provides a clearer picture of bacterial DNA transfer into an animal genome.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the rarity of horizontal gene transfer in complex organisms like animals, suggesting that such transfers have played a significant and persistent role in the evolution of cockroach genomes for millions of years.

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