A novel "electricity-conducting organism” could spark medical and environmental innovations, says researchers from Oregon State University (OSU), the University of Antwerp, Delft University of Technology, and the University of Vienna.
According to a new study, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the team has named the organism — a new species of cable bacteria — Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis, in honor of the Yaqona people, whose ancestral land (in Oregon, U.S.), the new bacteria were found in.
The research team hopes that the new discovery could help develop improved biomedical devices as well as new ways to improve food safety and environmental cleanup.
An Electric Bacteria
Cable bacteria are relatively new to science. First discovered in 2012 in Denmark, cable bacteria are known for their electric properties, a rare feat among bacteria. They have rod-shaped cells that connect end to end with a shared membrane, which form filaments that can sometimes reach a few centimeters long. Their electric conductivity helps their metabolic processes within the sediment environments they live in.
"We can divide cable bacteria into two well-described genera. One lives in freshwater sediments [Candidatus Electronema], and the other one in brackish or marine sediments [Candidatus Electrothrix]," says Philip Ley, one of the study's lead authors from the University of Antwerp.
However, after sequencing its genome, the research team noticed Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis was unlike other species of cable bacteria.
Hybrid for Both Fresh and Saltwater
Cheng Li, who, at the time, was a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University, and Clare Reimers, distinguished professor emerita in the OSU College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, discovered Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis in the sediment in the Yaquina Bay estuary, an environment where fresh and saltwater mix.
The results of the genome sequencing suggest that Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis has the metabolic potential seen in both freshwater and saltwater cable bacteria species, meaning that Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis is almost like a hybrid species, according to Ley, though it is still more closely related to the saltwater genus.
“This new species seems to be a bridge, an early branch within the Ca. Electrothrix clade, which suggests it could provide new insights into how these bacteria evolved and how they might function in different environments,” said Li, in a press release.
“It stands out from all other described cable bacteria species in terms of its metabolic potential, and it has distinctive structural features, including pronounced surface ridges, up to three times wider than those seen in other species, that house highly conductive fibers made of unique, nickel-based molecules,” Li continued in the release.
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Bacterial Cleanup for the Environment
Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis is able to help with reduction-oxidation reactions, especially over greater distances, making it a vital part of the nutrients and geochemistry of the sediment it's in.
“These bacteria can transfer electrons to clean up pollutants, so they could be used to remove harmful substances from sediments,” Li said in a press release. “Also, their design of a highly conductive nickel protein can possibly inspire new bioelectronics.”
Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis can help the environment in other ways as well.
"So we also know that, for example, if cable bacteria are present in rice paddies, that they release less methane, which is, of course, an important greenhouse gas," says Jesper van Dijk, a lead author of the study from the University of Antwerp. "It's not really a cleanup, but it's, I would say, maybe a [preventive] mechanism of these greenhouse gases."
Though there is no practical application from these bacteria quite yet, the research team hopes that one day we could extract materials from the bacteria and synthesize them into products that could be used in the medical field, like sensors for heart monitors, according to van Dijk.
A Strong Connection With the Land
The research team named this vital bacteria after the Yaqona people to honor them and their ancestral land, which includes Yaquina Bay. According to the press release, the descendants of the Yaqona people are part of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Together, they helped the team come up with the name for this new species of bacteria.
According to Li, working with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians was a great honor and a great way to bring awareness to a culture that is often overlooked. Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis is such a keystone species to its environment, and now this vital organism can be part of the rich history of the Yaqona people.
“Naming an ecologically important bacterium after a Tribe recognizes its historical bond with the land and acknowledges its enduring contributions to ecological knowledge and sustainability,” Li said in the press release.
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Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
Applied and Environmental Microbiology. A novel cable bacteria species with a distinct morphology and genomic potential
Nature Communications. Cable bacteria reduce methane emissions from rice-vegetated soils
A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.
