Think pink! Success of pink bacteria in oceans of the world
Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 09:30
in Biology & Nature
Marine bacteria of the Roseobacter clade are found to be spread widely throughout the oceans of this planet from the tropics to as far as Antarctica. They live freely in the water, in sediments and as symbiotic partners of algae. Special photosynthetic pigments are responsible for their pink colour. Marine bacteria distinguish themselves through an unusually diverse metabolism, which opens interesting opportunities for biotechnological applications. A reconstruction of their evolutionary development will provide a key for scientists to understand the secret for their ecological success.