In the depths of the ocean, where sunlight can’t reach, there is a hidden world teeming with microbial life. Yet little is known about these enigmatic organisms.
Researchers from Bigelow Laboratory spearheaded a novel database, GORG-Dark, to help change that. The database contains more than 9,600 genomes from individual microbial cells sampled from the ocean’s aphotic region, giving researchers a powerful new way to study some of the most mysterious life on Earth.
A new study published in Cell demonstrates the database’s potential to unlock discovery, revealing previously unknown capabilities and functions of these deep-ocean microbes — including possibilities for blue biotechnology.
