A new study has uncovered a virus-like life form never before encountered in the human gut.
Stanford University biologist Ivan Zheludev and his team said the new discovery may not be a form of virus.
According to the scientist, the new discovery could be a “completely new form of life” that will help bridge the gap between the simplest genetic molecules and complex viruses.
The biological structure, which is claimed to be a new life form, was named “obelisk” because of its symmetrical and rod-like appearance made of twisted RNA strands.
SCIENTISTS MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME
As part of the research, Zheludev and his team analyzed 5.4 million previously uncovered genetic sequences. They identified 30 thousand different types of “obelisk” in these sequences.
Among the human microbial databases analyzed, obelisk sequences were found in 7 percent of human gut bacteria and half of the bacteria in the human mouth.
“The obelisks are colonized and contain a variety of RNAs that have not been noticed in previous studies. The nature of these elements may not be viral and may be similar to RNA plasmids.”
The researchers also stated that they do not know what other living things have obelisks, but they think they can be observed in bacterial species.
