Protists defy taxonomic classification and wow us with their weirdness on a daily basis. They’ve been excruciatingly difficult to study but, thanks to single-cell genomics and bioinformatics being carried out at the Earlham Institute, we’re finally decoding their abundant biodiversity.

While COVID-19 continues to dominate headlines in the UK, the global fight against diseases such as malaria - exacerbated by the pandemic and devastating tropical regions - seems to have fallen out of public consciousness.

What does biodiversity mean to you? The common focus is the loss of rainforests and wildlife conservation, but what about the lesser known, microscopic species?

You may never have heard of them but protists have the power to make or break life on Earth. From mind-controlling parasites to oxygen-belching phytoplankton, these single-celled organisms dominate the tree of life - yet we know precious little about them.

Dr Sally Warring tells us that studying protists could make us rethink what we know about biology, genetics, and the complexities of life on Earth.