Breaking Biochemical Rules: Mysterious Ocean Microbes Offer New Hope Against Global Warming

Deep-sea microbes consume alkanes, reducing oceanic and atmospheric pollution, and a new study reveals they utilize a unique metabolic pathway. This discovery challenges previous beliefs about anaerobic metabolism. Natural seeps on the deep seafloor release alkanes, pollutants that can pose risks to life and contribute to global warming. Thankfully, microbes within the surrounding sediments function [...]