Tiny organisms have huge effect on world’s atmosphere

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/-/tiny-organisms-have-huge-effect-on-world-s-atmosphere

[font face=Serif][font size=5]Tiny organisms have huge effect on world’s atmosphere[/font]

[font size=4]Scientists at the University of East Anglia have discovered how a tiny yet abundant ocean organism helps regulate the Earth’s climate.[/font]

[font size=3]Research published today in Nature Microbiology reveals how a bacterial group called ‘Pelagibacterales’ plays an important function in keeping the Earth’s atmosphere stable.

The project was led by Prof Steve Giovannoni and Dr Jing Sun at Oregon State University, in collaboration with researchers from UEA among others.

They showed that these tiny, hugely abundant bacteria could make the environmentally important gas, dimethyl sulfide. Researchers at UEA identified and characterised the gene that is responsible for this property.

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Dr Temperton from Exeter University added: “This work shows that the Pelagibacterales are likely an important component in climate stability. If we are going to improve models of how DMS impacts climate, we need to consider this organism as a major contributor.

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1. The journal article's title says it all.

The abundant marine bacterium Pelagibacter simultaneously catabolizes dimethylsulfonio propionate to the gases dimethyl sulphide and methanethiol.

Yep. I was just thinking the same thing, but they beat me to it.