Our bodies are teeming with trillions of microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other biological entities. Recently, Stanford scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery of a new class of organisms within us, called “Obelisks.” These mysterious rod-like entities have a structure that resembles viroids and viruses, and are capable of coding for unknown proteins.
Despite our extensive knowledge of the microbiome, Obelisks have managed to elude detection until now. The Stanford team uncovered nearly 30,000 distinct types of Obelisks in microbiome samples from over 400 individuals worldwide. These findings have left scientists puzzled as Obelisks do not bear any resemblance to known biological agents.
The role of Obelisks in our bodies is currently unknown. They could potentially have a positive or negative impact on their hosts, which may not necessarily be humans, but the bacteria or fungi within our microbiome. Research suggests that the Streptococcus sanguinis bacteria found in dental plaque could be a key player in studying the behavior of Obelisks.
