A newly decoded bacterial genome brings scientists one step closer to unlocking the secret behind the production of methylmercury, the chemical notorious for contaminating tuna and other seafood.
Most mercury pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Once in the atmosphere, it seeps into the rain and gradually trickles down to the sea. Certain bacteria that thrive in sediments and soils then transform it into methylmercury, a much more dangerous neurotoxin which latches onto proteins and works its way up the food chain.
Read more at Shorelines.