002 Microbes, the little guys_SAR11 the most abundant microbe on the planet!

This episode delves inside the world of SAR11. The most abundant microbe in the Oceans, and in fact on the Planet! Only discovered in 1990 by Stephen Giovannoni et. al., this microbe has already had its genome sequenced. SAR11 plays an important role as not just the garbage cleaner and elemental recycler of the oceans, but is also involved in the carbon cycle. The high abundance of SAR11, 25% in some oceans means that this tiny microbe with a tiny genome can effect the global carbon cycle and thus is important to study in reference to climate change.