A bacterial gene has somehow lept across the species barrier and landed in the genetic makeup of an insect.
While it's a mystery how the gene got there, it's been a big help to the insect.
The insect, called the coffee berry borer, is the bane of coffee plantations worldwide. It lives on nothing but coffee beans and causes about $500 million of damage every year.
Coffee researchers in Colombia were not looking for cases of cross-species gene swapping.
While it's a mystery how the gene got there, it's been a big help to the insect.
The insect, called the coffee berry borer, is the bane of coffee plantations worldwide. It lives on nothing but coffee beans and causes about $500 million of damage every year.
Coffee researchers in Colombia were not looking for cases of cross-species gene swapping.
