Scientists discover a new organism that conducts electricity
Looks like scientists have found a new cousin to the eels! Well, not another
eel
, but a bacterium that can conduct electricity. And no, it doesn't zap, but it does work like
biological wiring
hidden in the mud.
The findings are published in
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. The novel species of bacteria act as electrical wiring, and could hold the potential to develop
bioelectronic devices
for use in medicine, industry, food safety, and environmental monitoring and cleanup.
The researchers discovered the
cable bacteria
species in a mud flat at the
Oregon coast
and named it
Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis
is named in honor of the Native Americans of the region where the species was found.
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Cheng Li, who was a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University at the time of the research, and Clare Reimers, distinguished professor emerita in the OSU College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, identified the new species.
Provided by Cheng Li
The new cable bacteria have rod-shaped cells connected in a line, with a shared outer membrane, forming filaments that can reach several centimeters in length. Though conductivity is unusual among bacteria, this is an adapted process to optimize their metabolic processes in the sediment environments in which they live. The new organism shares similarities with the Ca. Electrothrix genus and the other known cable bacteria genus, Ca. Electronema, in terms of metabolic pathways and genes.
'This new species seems to be a bridge, an early branch within the Ca. Electrothrix clade, which suggests it could provide new insights into how these bacteria evolved and how they might function in different environments,' Li said. 'It stands out from all other described cable bacteria species in terms of its metabolic potential, and it has distinctive structural features, including pronounced surface ridges, up to three times wider than those seen in other species, that house highly conductive fibers made of unique, nickel-based molecules.'
The fibers are responsible for the bacteria's ability to perform long-distance electron transport, linking oxygen or nitrate at the surface with sulfide deeper in the sediment. This ability to carry out chemical reactions over distance makes them important for
sediment chemistry
and nutrient cycling.
'These bacteria can transfer electrons to clean up pollutants, so they could be used to remove harmful substances from sediments. Also, their design of a highly conductive nickel protein can possibly inspire new bioelectronics,' Li added.
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Cable bacteria can live in both freshwater and saltwater environments, and also thrive in diverse climatic conditions.
The new organism gets its name, Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis from the Yaqona people, whose ancestral lands encompassed Yaquina Bay. Yaqona referred to the bay and river that made up much of their homeland, as well as to the people themselves.
representative img
'Naming an ecologically important bacterium after a Tribe recognizes its historical bond with the land and acknowledges its enduring contributions to ecological knowledge and sustainability,' Li further added.
(Pic courtesy: Cheng Li)
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