Caltech on Instagram: "Earth’s biosphere is brimming with symbiotic relationships: from bacteria that became our cells’ mitochondria, to mycorrhizal fungi that help plants grow, to the myriad mites, wasps, worms, and flies that make a living by parasitizing other animals. New research at Caltech sheds light on why symbioses become irreversible but also why these lifestyles are not necessarily an evolutionary dead end. The research was performed in the laboratory of Joe Parker, professor of biolo

deadhost.exe on Instagram: "On September 26, 1991, eight researchers known as Biospherians were sealed inside Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona. This massive three acre glass structure was designed to be a self sustaining alien world on Earth. The team included scientists like Jane Poynter and Roy Walford who expected to live in a perfect paradise. Instead, they entered a two year psychological and physical nightmare. The project suffered a catastrophic failure when the oxygen levels began to plumm