Single cell transforms into cannibalistic 'supergiant,' swallowing… | HappeningNow.news

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Single cell transforms into cannibalistic 'supergiant,' swallowing its clones whole

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have discovered a microscopic organism that can transform into a cannibalistic "supergiant" that drastically changes size, shape, and behavior, and abandons filter-feeding to hunt and…

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Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute discovered a microscopic organism that can transform into a cannibalistic “supergiant.” The single cell drastically changes its size, shape, and behavior, abandoning filter‑feeding to hunt and consume genetically identical relatives. The study, published on the cover of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that single‑cell organisms can undergo complex, regulated development—a process previously thought to be limited to multicellular animals.

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