Organisms That Breathe Arsenic Discovered In the Pacific Ocean (newatlas.com) 41
Researchers at the University of Washington have discovered that some microbes in the Pacific Ocean actively breath arsenic. "The discovery has implications for how life may adapt to a changing climate, as well as where we might find it on other planets," reports New Atlas. From the report: The discovery was made in water samples gathered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. After conducting genetic analyses on DNA from those samples, the team found two genetic pathways that are known to help organisms gain energy by converting one form of arsenic molecule into another, and back again. Arsenic-breathing microbes have previously been found in hot springs or lakes with high arsenic levels, but finding them in the ocean, where there isn't all that much arsenic to begin with, is quite strange.
"We've known for a long time that there are very low levels of arsenic in the ocean," says Gabrielle Rocap, co-author of the study. "But the idea that organisms could be using arsenic to make a living -- it's a whole new metabolism for the open ocean." That said, it does seem to be a very small population -- less than one percent of the microbes in these waters. They appear to be distantly related to the other arsenic-respiring species on land and in lakes, which may suggest that this survival strategy is a holdover from an ancient time, when the levels of arsenic were naturally much higher. The study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"We've known for a long time that there are very low levels of arsenic in the ocean," says Gabrielle Rocap, co-author of the study. "But the idea that organisms could be using arsenic to make a living -- it's a whole new metabolism for the open ocean." That said, it does seem to be a very small population -- less than one percent of the microbes in these waters. They appear to be distantly related to the other arsenic-respiring species on land and in lakes, which may suggest that this survival strategy is a holdover from an ancient time, when the levels of arsenic were naturally much higher. The study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Re: (Score:2)
Quote it. I dare you.
At last! (Score:3)
They've finally discovered the home of all the AC posters! It finally makes sense why all the AC posters spew such vitriol, they literally breathe poison to stay alive. ;)
Cerifiably weird (Score:3)
Cerifiably weird, thanks for that. But no thanks for failing to state the scientific name of the organism either in the press report or the abstract, and the article is paywalled. Very shabby.
Re:Cerifiably weird (Score:5, Informative)
But no thanks for failing to state the scientific name of the organism either in the press report or the abstract
According to the UW press release [washington.edu], it sounds like she doesn't know the species. She just found genes for the metabolic pathway in a soup of DNA fragments.
Disclaimer: I didn't read the (paywalled) paper. It should be illegal to paywall taxpayer funded research.
Re: (Score:1)
Bill is the smartest guy here,
That's hardcore, dude. (Score:2)
The edgelords of the sea.
amazing! (Score:2)
Does this affect the chance of alien life? (Score:1)
Not very knowledgeable about biology. Does this affect the probability of finding life on other planets much? Like, were we assuming that life could only exist by breathing oxygen before now?
Re: (Score:2)
Life was around before oxygen, or at least before there was uncombined oxygen in the atmosphere; it was life that put it there.
So for the last question, no.
Cool! (Score:4, Interesting)
Seriously, how cool is that? If something breathes arsenic, that means one of two things: Either it must go back to an evolutionary separation in our ancestry that is *so* far back it's closer to the birth of life in general than it is to us or microlife is super-adaptable in ways we don't know for sure were possible.
This makes alien life out in space way more plausible IMHO.
Science is amazing.
life always finds a way (Score:1)
if there is supposed to be life, it will find a way to survive.
Another hyperbolic "digest" (Score:1)
Researchers at the University of Washington have discovered that some microbes in the Pacific Ocean actively breath arsenic. "The discovery has implications for how life may adapt to a changing climate, as well as where we might find it on other planets," reports New Atlas.
No, just no. First off, the adapting to a changing climate is immaterial, since the climate changes won't turn our oxygen to arsenic. The expectation is that concentrations in the air will shift towards higher levels of pollutants, not that those pollutants would get even remotely close in concentration to spur the development of alternative energy sources for microbes (much less larger creatures). Where we might find life on other planets? No, not that either. It is already well known that other sources of
Wait, wait (Score:4, Funny)
Organisms That Breathe Arsenic Discovered In the Pacific Ocean
Wait, they found my ex-wife in the Pacific Ocean??
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They appear to be distantly related to the other arsenic-respiring species on land
Okay yeah it's her.