{"id":26472,"date":"2026-01-29T12:17:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T20:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=26472"},"modified":"2026-02-03T12:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:08:36","slug":"sar11-one-of-earths-most-abundant-organisms-surprisingly-fragile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/sar11-one-of-earths-most-abundant-organisms-surprisingly-fragile\/","title":{"rendered":"One of Earth\u2019s most abundant organisms is surprisingly fragile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                                    \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/Thrash-SAR11-top-1-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/Thrash-SAR11-top-1-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/Thrash-SAR11-top-1-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/Thrash-SAR11-top-1-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Colorful image of an elongated, curved cell as seen through a microscope\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  SAR11 bacteria comprise some 40% of marine bacterial cells, making them an essential part of our ocean ecosystems. (Image source: Smithsonian \/ Xiaowei Zhao.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=science-and-technology\">Science and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>One of Earth\u2019s most abundant organisms is surprisingly fragile<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  An evolutionary adaptation that allows one ocean bacteria to thrive could prove to be its Achilles\u2019 heel as oceans change, new study reveals.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">USC Dornsife News<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">January 29, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A group of ocean bacteria long considered perfectly adapted to life in nutrient-poor waters may be more vulnerable to environmental change than scientists realized.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bacteria, known as SAR11, dominate surface seawater worldwide and can make up as much as 40% of marine bacterial cells. Their success is tied to genome streamlining, an evolutionary process in which organisms lose genes to reduce energy costs in nutrient-limited environments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41564-025-02237-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">new study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> published in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nature Microbiology<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> suggests that this extreme efficiency comes at a cost, however.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSAR11\u2019s extraordinary evolutionary success in adapting to, and dominating, stable low-nutrient environments may have left them vulnerable to oceans that experience more change. They may have evolved themselves into a bit of a trap,\u201d says<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/cameron-thrash\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cameron Thrash<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">professor<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bisc\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biological sciences<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/earth\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earth sciences<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and corresponding author of the study.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Adaptation with a flaw for SAR11 marine bacteria<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The researchers analyzed hundreds of SAR11 genomes and discovered that many lack the genes normally required to control the cell cycle, a process that coordinates DNA replication and cell division. In most bacteria, these genes are essential for healthy growth. Under changing environmental conditions, that missing regulation appears to cause serious cellular problems for SAR11.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26474\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26474\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26474\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/in-story--500x500.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of two SAR11 bacteria.\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/in-story--500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/in-story--150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/in-story--768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/in-story--320x320.jpg 320w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/in-story-.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26474\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An analysis of hundreds of SAR11 genomes revealed that changes to their environment led to abnormal cell division. (Image: Courtesy of the Thrash Lab.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their sensitivity to environmental changes has been observed before by scientists. What surprised the researchers was how SAR11 cells responded to stress. Rather than simply slowing growth, many cells continued copying their DNA while failing to divide.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTheir DNA replication and cell division became uncoupled. The cells kept copying their DNA but failed to divide properly, producing cells with abnormal numbers of chromosomes,\u201d says Chuankai Cheng, a PhD candidate in biological sciences and lead author of the study. \u201cThe surprise was that such a clear and repeatable cellular signature emerged.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These abnormal cells, which carried extra chromosomes, often became enlarged and eventually died. As a result, overall population growth slowed even when nutrients were plentiful, a finding that challenges common assumptions about microbial growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The findings also help explain why SAR11 populations often decline during the later stages of phytoplankton blooms, when organic matter increases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have known for a long time that these organisms are not particularly well suited to late stages of phytoplankton blooms,\u201d Thrash says. \u201cNow we have an explanation: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Late<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bloom stages are associated with increases in new, dissolved organic matter that can disturb these organisms, making them less competitive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s next for SAR11 bacteria<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study has broader implications for understanding climate change and marine ecosystems. SAR11 bacteria play a major role in ocean carbon cycling, and their sensitivity to warming and nutrient pulses could reshape microbial communities as oceans become more variable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis work highlights a new way environmental change can affect marine ecosystems, not simply by limiting resources, but by disrupting the internal physiology of dominant microorganisms,\u201d Cheng said. As environmental stability declines, he added, organisms with greater regulatory flexibility may gain an advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers say future work will focus on uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind these disruptions. Their work will help improve our understanding of SAR11\u2019s role in marine carbon cycling, an effort made critical by the organism\u2019s sheer abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>About the study<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to Cheng and Thrash, the study\u2019s authors include Brittany Bennett, Pratixa Savalia, Hasti Asrari, Carmen Biel and Kate Evans at USC Dornsife; and Rui Tang of the University of California, San Diego.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This research was supported by a Simons Foundation Early Career Investigator in Marine Microbial Ecology and Evolution Award and a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/usc-dornsife-2023-simons-investigators\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Simons Foundation Investigator in Aquatic Microbial Ecology Award<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  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reveals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":26480,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,16,17],"tags":[88,1967,60],"class_list":["post-26472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","category-science-and-technology","category-student","tag-biological-sciences","tag-marine-and-evolutionary-biology","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>One of Earth\u2019s most abundant organisms is surprisingly fragile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An evolutionary adaptation that allows one ocean bacteria to thrive could prove to be its Achilles Heel as oceans change, new study reveals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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