10 There's Genes in That Dirt
Series: November 2006 - Isla Earth Radio Series
From: Pat Maxwell
Length: 00:01:34
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- 10 There's Genes in That Dirt
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- Pat Maxwell
Biologists who try to measure Earth?s genetic diversity have one more place to look: the dirt under our feet.
Craig Venter, who helped decipher the human genome and has recently been studying biodiversity in the oceans, says that genetic diversity may be ten times greater in soil than in the ocean. That means a lot for agriculture, as diversity may help boost soil fertility. New organisms could aid in the development of antibiotics and natural fertilizers.
Venter and his team will start by studying soils in Australia. They?ll look for bacteria, viruses, and fungi. They?ll also examine the digestive tracts of cattle and sheep to study the relationships among livestock, grazing, and the biodiversity of the dirt underneath.
Venter thinks this new study will find tens of thousands of new species living in the dirt.
These discoveries could lead to useful new technologies in fields as diverse as medicine, agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.
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02 Medical Mysteries from the Deep
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03 Fog Catchers in the Sky
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04 Scrape, Don't Rinse
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05 Leaves of Three...
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06 An Eco-Friendly Auto Club
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07 Keeping Plastic Out of the Ocean
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08 Deconstruction Preserves Building Materials
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09 What Does Organic Mean?
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11 Heating With The Sun
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Piece Description
Biologists who try to measure Earth?s genetic diversity have one more place to look: the dirt under our feet. Craig Venter, who helped decipher the human genome and has recently been studying biodiversity in the oceans, says that genetic diversity may be ten times greater in soil than in the ocean. That means a lot for agriculture, as diversity may help boost soil fertility. New organisms could aid in the development of antibiotics and natural fertilizers. Venter and his team will start by studying soils in Australia. They?ll look for bacteria, viruses, and fungi. They?ll also examine the digestive tracts of cattle and sheep to study the relationships among livestock, grazing, and the biodiversity of the dirt underneath. Venter thinks this new study will find tens of thousands of new species living in the dirt. These discoveries could lead to useful new technologies in fields as diverse as medicine, agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.
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