The University of Sydney. 9 December 2011 A bacterium whose name was inspired by the Star Wars films has provided new clues into the evolution of our own cells and how they came to possess the vital energy-producing units called mitochondria.
The University of Sydney research investigated the bacterium Midichloria mitochondrii- named after helpful Star Wars microbes, called Midi-chlorians, that live inside cells and grant the mystical power known as The Force. Phylogenomic Evidence for the Presence of a Flagellum and cbb3 Oxidase in the Free-Living Mitochondrial Ancestor.