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Nanoarchaeota is a proposed subdivision within the domain Archaea, which are single-celled prokaryotic organisms distinct from bacteria and eukaryotes. Archaea are known for their ability to thrive in extreme environments, such as hot springs, deep-sea vents, and highly saline or acidic conditions.12

While many archaea are extremophiles, they are also found in more temperate ecosystems. Some archaea play crucial roles in global nutrient cycles, like methane production or oxidation. The Nanoarchaeota lineage, discovered in 2002, includes some of the smallest known living cells and genomes. Notably, members of Nanoarchaeota grow on the surface of other archaea, such as Ignicoccus, and have not yet been isolated in pure culture.1

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