One
of the most detailed genomic studies of any ecosystem has revealed an
underground world of microbial diversity. The research has added dozens of new
branches to the tree of life. The bacterial find comes from scientists who
reconstructed the genomes of more than 2,500 microbes from sediment and
groundwater samples collected at an aquifer in Colorado.
The
scientists netted genomes from 80 percent of all known bacterial phyla, a
remarkable degree of biological diversity at one location. They also discovered
47 new phylum-level bacterial groups, naming many of them after influential
microbiologists and other scientists. And they learned new insights about how
microbial communities work together to drive processes that are critical to the
planet's climate and life everywhere, such as the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
Between
the 47 new bacterial groups reported in this work, and 35 new groups published
last year has led to a doubling of the number of known bacterial groups.
For
further details see:
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle
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