Antarctic Seawater (IMAGE)

Desert Research Institute

Antarctic Seawater

Caption

This micrograph is a representative Antarctic marine sample of bacteria and archaea that has been stained with a fluorescent dye (DAPI) that binds to DNA. A typical sample of Antarctic seawater harbors 200 to over 600 different taxa based on the diversity of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Only a small fraction of this diversity, < 1%, has been cultivated, or matches sequences of cultivated bacteria and archaea in publicly accessible databases. Through developing a nomenclature system that represents the uncultivated majority, a path for communicating diversity will benefit particularly, those microbial scientists working in natural, bio-engineered, and host-associated ecosystems.

Credit

Credit: Alison Murray/Desert Research Institute.

Usage Restrictions

This image may only be used with appropriate caption and credit. Use of this image is under embargo until June 8, 2020.

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