Surprising bacterium from Canadian lake shines new light on ancient photosynthesis

Sometimes an experiment doesn’t go as planned. That’s science. But a “failed” experiment or unexpected results can be the avenue to a discovery you could never anticipate. A University of Waterloo PhD student had a poorly growing bacterial sample he wasn’t ready to give up on, which ultimately led to a once-in-a-lifetime finding that could change how scientists view photosynthesis and its origins.