Growing insight into microbial symbioses highlights the need to model these systems mathematically. We discuss three areas requiring theoretical advan…

Dinophysis dinoflagellates use plastids stolen from prey. Garric et al. show that these plastids cannot synthesize a complete phycoerythrin, a crucial photosynthetic protein. Dinophysis thus relies on prey ingestion for photoacclimation. It is noteworthy that some Dinophysis have acquired phycoerythrin synthesis genes from cryptophytes during evolution.

Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants that fix nitrogen, such as legumes, do so by harbori...

Nuclear calcium oscillations initiate plant–arbuscular mycorrhiza and nitrogen-fixing bacteria symbioses for nutrient acquisition, with a newly discovered autoactive CNGC15 mutant enhancing ...

Evolution was fueled by endosymbiosis, cellular alliances in which one microbe makes a permanent home inside another. For the first time, biologists made it happen in the lab.

Scientists recreated the origins of one of life's most important partnerships, uncovering how symbiotic relationships can evolve into powerful alliances.