Scientists discover world's largest bacterium

A sample of the largest bacterium was discovered by Olivier Gros, a biologist at the University of the French West Indies and Guiana.

It happened in the Guadeloupe archipelago in 2009.

But then he did not immediately realize that it was a bacterium, due to its surprisingly large size. These bacteria, on average, reach a length of 0.9 centimeters. Only later genetic analysis showed that it was still a single bacterium.

This is an amazing discovery,” said Petra Levin, a microbiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. This opens up the question of how many of these giant bacteria exist and reminds us that we should never underestimate bacteria.

The researchers say they don't yet know why this bacterium is so big. However, it is suggested that this may be a natural adaptation to help it avoid being eaten by smaller organisms.