Publication of Ocean Microbe Sequences Elicits Over a Dozen Stories

Summary

The publications, in the most recent issues of Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, of the sequences of 4 photosynthetic ocean microbes that have major roles in temperate zone ocean capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide (an important greenhouse gas) has stimulated over a dozen stories in the news media just within the first week after the appearance of these stories. (Several quote Office of Science Director Dr. Raymond Orbach). Reuters, MSNBC, and ABC News are only three of the roughly 14 (so far) that have run stories on the sequencing of Prochlorococcus marinus (3 species) and Synechococcus (1 strain) by teams at MIT and Scripps Institution, both working closely with the DOE Joint Genome Institute. This work was funded by the Office of Science’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research.