Discovery of Mysterious Black Goo on Ship Reveals New Species
Researchers at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, have analyzed a mysterious black substance found inside a research vessel on the Great Lakes, dubbed 'ShipGoo001.' The substance, discovered during routine maintenance aboard the R/V Blue Heron, contained DNA and biomass, leading to the reconstruction of 20 genomes. Some of these genomes represent entirely new branches of life, including a potential new order of archaea and a new bacterial phylum. The microbes thrive in semi-warm, oxygen-free environments, similar to the ship's mechanical systems.