A team of Cornell researchers discovered a new category of soil bacteria. They decided to name it in the memory of the Cornell praised professor, Gene Madsen, who first found it. The new species can remove organic matter, such as cancer-causing chemicals that occur when gas, coal, and oil are burned.
Professor Dan Buckley and his team defined the new bacteria as “Paraburkholder madseniana sp. nov., which is also a phenolic acid-degrading bacteria separated from the acidic forest dirt.
It is known that humans, all animals, and plants host a bunch of friendly bacteria that support the digestion and fight when infections kick in. The bacteria present in the soil, not only aid plant to grow, fight off pests, or face the stress, they’re also vital to get better the climate change.
The Madseniana Bacteria Skills to Fight Soil Pollution and Climate Change
The newly found madseniana bacteria is part of the Paraburkholderia genus and could degrade the aromatic elements, or as other species proved, can produce root bulges that fix atmospheric nitrogen. The team’s research began in Cornell’s Turkey Hill, an experimental forest, where professor Madsen isolated the found bacteria.
The first phase was to determine the bacteria’s ribosomal RNA genes, which offered proof that madseniana was a one-of-a-kind species. Researchers had also observed that madseniana is also adept at removing aromatic hydrocarbons, such as those found in PAH pollution.
“Soils, every year, process about seven times more carbon than all of the human emissions from cars, power plants, and heating units, all over the world, just in their natural work of decomposing plant material,” stated professor Buckley. Even a small change in how we manage soil could bring significant results on climate change. In madseniana’s case, the team lab intends to find out more about the symbiotic link between the forest trees and the bacteria.
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