This Hong Kong scientist wanted to discover new ocean species. He found 7,300
- Among discoveries from eight-year study is marine acidobacteria, which can be used to edit the genes of other organisms, previously known to exist only on land
In 2011, Qian Peiyuan set out on a mission to measure the true biodiversity of microorganisms in the world’s oceans. What he discovered, in his words, could enhance the understanding of life and provide new weapons in the fight against disease.
Back then, the Hong Kong-based scientist was convinced the number of microbial marine species had to be higher than widely thought, and still thought more remained undiscovered when the international Tara Oceans research project put it at 35,000 in 2015.
His team scoured the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, and the seas off Hong Kong. After eight years of study, they had discovered 7,300 new kinds of marine microbe.
That was just the amount found in underwater “biofilms” – collections of microorganisms that cover almost all moist surfaces, from ships’ hulls to teeth.
Our thought was, maybe biofilms are a completely different type of marine habitat [from seawater], providing a completely different type of biodiversity
And researchers got more than they asked for, with the fortuitous discovery of a new type of bacteria which they claim could help scientists develop new drugs and antibiotics.
