Bacterial genomes are small fry compared with those of eukaryotes such as C. elegans: some 4m-5m bases long at most.

ECONOMIST: The first complete DNA sequence of an animal is now in the bag

Until now, the genomes of eukaryotes have been analysed using a laborious approach that sequences each chromosome a bit at a time.

ECONOMIST: Fruit-fly genetics

This is a lengthy affair, which helps to explain why only two other eukaryotes (yeast, and a small worm called C. elegans) have had their genomes fully sequenced.

ECONOMIST: Fruit-fly genetics

He started combing through the data from the cruise to look for new forms of genes that have, in the past, proved useful in distinguishing bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes from each other, to see if there are any other domains of life out there.

ECONOMIST: A new domain of life