New Microbe Discovered Eating BP (NYSE:BP) Oil

A new study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, led by Terry Hazen, has discovered a new oil-eating microbe in the Gulf of Mexico munching on oil from the BP (NYSE:BP) spill.

When looking into the dispersion of the oil in the Gulf, scientists studying the area made the discovery of the microbe, which have expanded exponentially in the warm waters, and the increased food source of oil.

One interesting aspect of the discovery is they found the microbe can eat the oil without shrinking the amount of oxygen in the water; something scientists had been concerned over.

You can find the study at the online journal, Scienceexpress.

BP donated about $500 million to Berkeley, a somewhat controversial act in the minds of some at the University.