Cultured Asgard microbes illuminate the origins of complex life

Scientists are finally culturing Asgard archaea, revealing eukaryotic-signature proteins and dynamic protrusions. These features, seen in multiple cultured species, bolster theories that archaea contributed key components to eukaryotic cells and suggest how endosymbiotic events and cytoskeletal innovations may have driven the rise of complex life, including the evolution of mitochondria.