Black Goo on a Ship Reveals a Hidden World of New Microbes
Routine maintenance on the Large Lake Observatory’s vessel Blue Heron uncovered a mysterious black goo in the rudder shaft. Microbiologists from the University of Minnesota Duluth found living, previously unknown archaea thriving in the anaerobic, semi-warm rudder environment, reconstructing 20 genomes and uncovering organisms that may belong to a new order of archaea and possibly a new bacterial phylum. Some microbes appear methane-producing, with potential biofuel implications. The team plans to publicly release the genomes and publish their findings soon, highlighting how life can persist in human-made habitats.