Tag Archive for ‘Symbiosis’

Threesome: the hidden partner in lichen symbioses

Groundbreaking new research has revised our understanding of one of the oldest symbiotic partnerships on Earth; scientists recently discover that lichens comprise more than just two mutually beneficial organisms. Almost 150 years ago, lichens became the most prominent example of symbiosis, a mutualism between an ascomycete fungus and a photosynthesising symbiont. The new study, published in Science last month, suggests a third partner has been lurking in the mix.