Arsenic-Based Lifeline": A Comprehensive Metabolic Map of Microbial Arsenic-Phosphorus Substitution
By / Jul 29, 2025
In the realm of extremophile biology, few discoveries have sparked as much intrigue as the arsenic-utilizing microbes of Mono Lake, California. The 2010 announcement of GFAJ-1, a bacterium allegedly capable of substituting arsenic for phosphorus in its DNA backbone, ignited both excitement and skepticism. While the initial claims faced rigorous scientific scrutiny, they inadvertently opened a new chapter in our understanding of alternative biochemistries. Recent research has moved beyond the controversy to systematically map the diverse strategies microbes employ to interact with arsenic—not as a mere toxin, but as a potential metabolic resource.