For most of life on Earth, oxygen is essential, and sunlight is usually needed to produce that oxygen. But in an exciting twist, researchers have caught a common, ocean-dwelling microbe breaking all the rules.<\/p>\n
Scientists have found that a microbe called Nitrosopumilus maritimus and several of its cousins, called ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA), are able to survive in dark, oxygen-depleted environments by producing oxygen on their own. They do so using a biological process that hasn’t been seen before.<\/p>\n
While it’s previously been established that these microbes can live in environments where oxygen is scarce, what hasn’t been clear is what they get up to there \u2013 and how they’re staying alive for as long as they do. That was the inspiration behind this new research.<\/p>\n
“These guys are really abundant in the oceans, where they play an important role in the nitrogen cycle,” says microbiologist Beate Kraft, from the University of Southern Denmark.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Microbes in The Ocean Depths Can Make Oxygen Without Sun. This Discovery Could Be Huge https:\/\/t.co\/BNGCUhx5cl<\/a><\/p>\n — ScienceAlert (@ScienceAlert) January 11, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n