{
  "id": 11214344,
  "title": "Catalog of mitochondria across life's family tree unearths unusual functions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/catalog-of-mitochondria-across-lifes-family-tree-unearths-unusual",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-01T15:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mitochondria-life-family-tree-unearths.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A groundbreaking research effort has mapped the diverse proteins found within mitochondria across various life forms, offering new insights into the organelle's functions and evolution. Led by scientists from the Broad Institute, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Boston University, the MitoCarta Tree of Life project has generated proteomes from a plant and five single-celled pathogens responsible for numerous global diseases. This comprehensive analysis reveals unexpected mitochondrial functions, clues to mitochondrial origin, and potential drug targets for neglected tropical diseases. The findings, published in nine scientific papers and a commentary in Cell, shed light on the organelle's role in complex eukaryotic evolution and highlight the diverse energy-producing machinery found in various organisms.",
  "summary": "A research consortium has generated the broadest look yet at the proteins that make up mitochondria, capturing the organelle's diversity across multiple branches on the tree of complex life. With major contributions from Broad Institute scientists and its Proteomics Platform, the consortium generated and analyzed the mitochondrial proteomes of one plant and five single-celled pathogens that…",
  "key_points": [
    "MitoCarta Tree of Life maps mitochondria proteins across life forms",
    "Reveals unexpected mitochondrial functions in plant and pathogens",
    "Potential drug targets for neglected tropical diseases identified"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}