Bioenergetics evolution: the link between Earth's and Life's history

The history of life intrigues both researchers and society, as it is human nature to question our origins. Our understanding of microbial evolution comes mainly from genomic data and geological evidence. Recent advances in sequencing technologies are revealing vast insights into microbial diversity, especially among uncultured lineages. While metagenomics indicates the existence of novel lineages, their ecological functions remain unknown. To unlock these mysteries, we need to shift focus from genomics to understanding their physiology. A barrier to understanding environmental microbes lies in our limited knowledge of their energy-harnessing and conservation strategies. Phylogenetic trees built from universal genes can group thousands of lineages but fail to capture the entire genome or reflect key physiological traits, especially with lateral gene transfer complicating evolutionary patterns. To deepen our knowledge of microbial evolution, a promising strategy combines large-scale comparative phylogenetic analyses of genes related to physiology with experimental data. Geochemical records of ancient energy sources can act as evolutionary constraints. This top-down approach would help rule out traits that could not be ancient, narrowing the physiological possibilities of early microbial life. Focusing on how microbes harnessed energy during evolution could bridge the gap between geochemistry and microbiology, providing testable predictions about bioenergetic transitions.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Chance and purpose in the evolution of biospheres'.