Bare soil bacteria reveal surprising scavenging lifestyle, challenging ecological norms
Bacteria from the WPS-2 group were found in dry, bare soil from an old iron-sulfur spring. They make up a big part of the soil bacteria and seem to mainly eat organic matter and sulfur. Surprisingly, they don't make their own food or use sunlight for energy. They might team up with other bacteria for survival. This shows that WPS-2 bacteria have different ways of getting energy.