Scientists produced the most complete catalog of marine microbe DNA yet, including data from the deeper zones of the oceans. Rowan Coe via Getty Images
As of Tuesday, scientists around the world have an exciting new tool at their disposal: the largest-ever collection of marine microbe genomes, organized in an online database.
The catalog, described in the journal Frontiers in Science, is an open-source digital library of genetic codes from the oceans organismsand scientists say it may open doors to drug development or innovations in energy and agriculture.
Genes and proteins derived from marine microbes have endless potential applications, study co-author Carlos Duarte, a marine ecologist at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, says to Nature News Carissa Wong. We can probe for new antibiotics; we can find new enzymes for food production. If they know what theyre searching for, researchers can use our platform to find the needle in the haystack that can address a specific problem.
To build the database, researchers analyzed thousands of marine samples collected over the last 15 years, from all five oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. The samples were sourced from a variety of past expeditions and studies, such as the global Tara Oceans expedition that ran from 2009 to 2013. The DNA represented bacteria, fungi and viruses from a variety of geographies and oceanic depths.
In the past, barriers to DNA sequencing presented a major roadblock for scientistseven when the genetic samples were collected and in hand, their efforts could be foiled by cost, time or the condition of the DNA. As of 2022, 303 million unique marine microbial genes had been sequenced.
The teams breakthrough came via sequencing and technological advances. Improvements in the speed and accuracy of supercomputing, as well as developments in artificial intelligence and shotgun DNA sequencing, allowed the team to analyze more than 2,100 metagenomes, or bulk quantities of genetic material. All told, they sequenced approximately 317 million unique groups of microbial genes to create the most complete catalog yet.
In particular, the study took a close look at life accustomed to the extreme conditions of the oceanic twilight zone. Stretching between 650 and 3,300 feet below the surfacejust out of range for sunlightthis region is home to some of Earths most unique creatures, with adaptations driven by such a harsh habitat.
Within the twilight zone, researchers were surprised to discover that more than half of the unique gene clusters found belonged to fungi.
There have been some indications of [fungi abundance at this level] before, so this is another piece of the puzzle, lead author Elisa Laiolo, a marine biologist at KAUST, says to the Guardians Sophie Kevany.
Drugs like penicillin, for example, were developed from fungi. And the ones found in the deep ocean have evolved rare traits that could be useful to scientists developing medicines. That could potentially lead to the discovery of new species with unique biochemical properties, Fabio Favoretto, a marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography who was not involved in the research, tells the Guardian.We might find something like [penicillin] from these ocean fungi.
Examining marine microbes also shed light on viruses role in increasing genetic diversity, which they do by moving genes between organisms.
The study suggests avenues for future researchfor example, the scientists identified a wide gap in knowledge about the deep sea and ocean floor. They also point out that their catalog can serve as a baseline for the diversity of marine microbes, which could allow future researchers to gauge the impact of human activitiessuch as deep-sea mining or burning fossil fuelson these organisms, per Nature News.
For the catalog to truly be effective, the team says, countries and scientists need to prioritize the dissemination of knowledge. The 2023 high seas treaty, which nearly 200 countries signed, maintains that a marine gene is owned by the country that discovers it, though its benefits must be shared. Still, the agreement was unclear on how that would work.
Such uncertainty must be resolved now we have reached the point where genetic and artificial intelligence technologies could unlock unprecedented innovation and progress in blue biotechnology, Duarte says in a statement.
Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.
- DNA Tests and Stranded Bodies: Ukraine's Struggle to Name Its Dead - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Study highlights the role of dynamic DNA structures in memory consolidation - News-Medical.Net - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Two identical-looking athletes with same name get DNA test to see if they are long-lost siblings - UNILAD - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Patitz Awarded NSF Grant for Research on DNA-Based Nanostructure Research - University of Arkansas Newswire - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- DNA on bandana leads to arrest of suspect in 2010 Indiana County robbery case - WTAE Pittsburgh - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- DNA recovered from wine bottle leads to arrest of burglary suspect - WGN TV Chicago - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Junk DNA from Three Perspectives: Some Key Quotes - Discovery Institute - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Flipons: The discovery of Z-DNA and soft-wired genomes - Open Access Government - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- New DNA evidence leads to arrest in 1984 cold case homicide of Everett woman - KING5.com - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Ancient DNA Reveals Kinship Structure of Eurasia's Avars - Archaeology Magazine - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Water bottle, DNA, fingerprints led to arrest of Chicago police officer Luis Huesca's accused killer, police say - CBS Chicago - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Jason Licht: Part of the DNA of this football team is trying to prove everybody wrong - NBC Sports - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- New DNA evidence found in connection with 2014 Georgia murders of Shirley and Russell Dermond - GPB News - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Unraveling the roles of non-coding DNA explains childhood cancer's resistance to chemotherapy - Medical Xpress - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- South Carolina's 'In Our DNA SC' aims for 100k participants in diverse health research - ABC NEWS 4 - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Joel Embiid finally discovers he has the DNA of a champion. Down 2-1, can he lead the Sixers past the Knicks? - The Philadelphia Inquirer - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Unraveling DNA's role in pop culturefrom superheroes to crime scenes - The Daily | Case Western Reserve University - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Elucidation of inhibitory effects of bioactive anthraquinones towards formation of DNA advanced glycation end products ... - ScienceDirect.com - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- DNA Testing Proved My Innocence of My Son's Murder - Innocence Project - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Generative A.I. Arrives in the Gene Editing World of CRISPR - The New York Times - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Persistent TFIIH binding to non-excised DNA damage causes cell and developmental failure - Nature.com - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Enhanced CRISPR method enables stable insertion of large genes into the DNA of higher plants - Phys.org - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Scientists inspired the right guardrails for nuclear energy, the internet, and DNA research. Let them do the same for AI - Fortune - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Test your dog's DNA to learn about their heritage and health for only $120 - New York Post - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Earth Life Biodiversity: Vast DNA Tree Of life For Flowering Plants Revealed - Astrobiology - Astrobiology News - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise Share Some Very Stylish DNA - Vogue - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- DNA evidence leads to arrest of 75-year-old Auburn man - Opelika Auburn News - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Putnam NY cold case: DNA test finds skeleton is not Robin Murphy's - The Journal News - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Ancient nomads you've probably never heard of disappeared from Europe 1,000 years ago. Now, DNA analysis ... - The Conversation - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Genetics Studies Have a Diversity Problem That Researchers Struggle To Fix - Kaiser Health News - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Keeping Telomeres in Their Places - The Scientist - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- WWII veteran Ward Thomas identified through genealogy testing - 10TV - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Vast DNA tree of life for plants revealed by global science team using 1.8 billion letters of genetic code - Phys.org - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- Here is a look at one of the labs that helped uncover new DNA evidence in Lake Oconee murder - WSB Atlanta - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- This Guardians prospect has baseball in his DNA - 1330 WFIN - April 27th, 2024 [April 27th, 2024]
- DNA identifies last known remains of victims of notorious Green River Killer, cops say - Miami Herald - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- UNE to study why rare lobsters have strange-colored shells - Spectrum News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- DNA evidence identifies last known victim of Green River Killer almost 40 years later - NBC Right Now - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- New bill would give California parents more control over whether state can store their kid's DNA - CBS News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Lucas County Sheriff's Office doing advanced testing on DNA found at site of 2011 Clarke and Straub murders - WTOL - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Last known remains connected to the Green River Killer identified through DNA | WTGS - Fox28 Savannah - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- 5 Best Ancestry DNA Tests 2024 To Help You Learn More About Your Health - GLAMOUR UK - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- 11 Investigates: Lucas County Sheriff's Office doing advanced testing on DNA found at site of 2011 Clarke and Straub murders - WTOL - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Researchers improve blood tests' ability to detect and monitor cancer - MIT News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- DNA test approved for Duxbury's Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of killing her 3 children - The Patriot Ledger - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- 1,650th victim of 9/11 identified through advanced DNA testing - FOX 17 West Michigan News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- We Think Cavco Industries (NASDAQ:CVCO) Might Have The DNA Of A Multi-Bagger - Yahoo Finance - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Last known remains connected to the Green River Killer identified through DNA - KOMO News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- 9/11 victim identified as John Ballantine Niven of Oyster Bay with help of DNA technology - WABC-TV - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Scott Peterson has every right to DNA test: Attorney from case - NewsNation Now - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- DNA from stone age chewing gum sheds light on diet and disease in Scandinavia's ancient hunter-gatherers - The Conversation - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Barbara Lee responds to Nikki Haley: Racism is in the DNA of this country - The Hill - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- DB Cooper 'will finally be identified' after 53 years due to huge DNA breakthrough - LADbible - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Dog Owners Who Abandon Poops To Be Found Using DNA Tests in Italy - Newsweek - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Scientists gather bobcat DNA from paw prints - KJZZ - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Discovering Fusions Requires More Than DNA Testing in GI Cancers - OncLive - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Largest-ever ocean DNA study uncovers mysteries of marine life - Earth.com - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- 1st-ever ancient case of Turner syndrome, with just 1 X chromosome instead of 2, found in ancient DNA - Livescience.com - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Minnesota Mother Calls on NYS to Allow DNA Testing Finger Lakes Daily News - Finger Lakes Daily News - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- DNA Didn't Match Marcellus Williams. Missouri May Fast-Track Execution Anyway. - The Intercept - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Ancient DNA From Eurasian Herders Sheds Light on the Origins of Multiple Sclerosis - Smithsonian Magazine - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- DNA's hotel toh kuyabeh mirrors bird flight undulations in tulum - Designboom - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Research into ancient DNA sheds new light on cause of Multiple Sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases - University of Oxford - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Ancient DNA reveals reason for high MS and Alzheimer's rates in Europe - University of Cambridge news - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- TIME-seq reduces time and cost of DNA methylation measurement for epigenetic clock construction - Nature.com - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Gilgo Serial Killer Suspect Rex Heuermann Tied to Slaying by DNA From Daughter's Can of Coffee: Prosecutors - The Messenger - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- DNA evidence leads to arrest of Denton sexual assault suspect - The Cross Timbers Gazette - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Ancient DNA reveals reason for high multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's rates in Europe - EurekAlert - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- New technique identifies earliest cases of genetic disorders from ancient DNA - University of Oxford - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Ancient DNA could be hiding all kinds of health secrets - Deccan Herald - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Ancient DNA reveals reason for high MS and Alzheimer's rates in Europe - ScienceBlog.com - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Supreme Court seeks government's view on DNA profiling of unidentified bodies - IndiaTimes - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Prosecution Ordered to Release Portion of DNA Evidence to Kohberger's Defense Team - bigcountrynewsconnection.com - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Judge orders more DNA disclosure in University of Idaho murder case - KXLY Spokane - January 16th, 2024 [January 16th, 2024]
- Cas9-induced targeted integration of large DNA payloads in primary human T cells via homology-mediated end-joining ... - Nature.com - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- The DNA glycosylase NEIL2 is protective during SARS-CoV-2 infection - Nature.com - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- How an immune response is driven by one letter difference in DNA - Medical Xpress - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Tracy Morgan Discovered He Was Related to Nas After DNA Test - PEOPLE - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Scientists testify about DNA in third week of Aguirre trial - The Spokesman Review - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- DNA metabarcoding focusing on the plankton community: an effective approach to reconstruct the paleo-environment ... - Nature.com - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]