Discussion Question: If the eukaryotic nucleus originated from a giant virus, that infected an archael ancestor of the eukaryotes (Bell, 2020), wouldn't that mean the original cell was an archaeal cell? And how "giant" does the virus have to be to be able to replicate this now?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168170220310753

"How did the discovery of the new Asgard Archaea change the way researchers understood eukaryotic evolution and the three branched tree of life?" Once scientists realized the newly discovered Asgard arhcaea genomes had genes that produced eukaryotic signature proteins, everything they knew about the origin of a eukaryotic cell was questioned. According to our understanding of the three domains of the tree of life, these proteins should not have been found in the Asgard archaea.

Advancement in technology happens frequently. We started with only one Asgard genome and within short amout of time, up to 2022, (the year of this publication), there were many more. According to an article in 2024, (Leao, et al, 2024), there were 869 Asgardarchaeota genomes. With the number of these genomes continually expanding, there is bound to be more research opportunities available, and each year ahead.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50195-2

"Why does research seek to understand the evolutionary history of the eukaryotic cell?" With new breakthroughs with the discovery of the Asgard Archaea, there are still so many studies that need to be performed to gain more knowledge about the origin of the eukaryotic cell. Scientists continue to develop more research and continue to search for answers to questions that seem impossible to answer, because the idea of understanding where life came from has endless possibilities for future advancement. It might hold the key to understanding diseases and how to cure them. Or it might offer answers about climate change and how our ecosystems function. It could possibly help farmers and ranchers, by eliminating animal and plant diseases. The potential is endless.

"Why do you think it is so hard for scientists to agree on a theory that supports the rise of the eukaryotic cell?" There is still so much debate on the origin of the nucleus, whether it has an archaeal origin or possibly came from a giant virus. I think once more research has been done, if possible, on the nucleus origin, we will be able to determine whether or not an update needs to happen to the current tree of life.