Oil-loving microbes could gobble up slicks and spills

The lingering oil slick from DeepWater Horizon was imaged off the Mississippi Delta on May 24, 2010.

Spills of crude oil that devastate huge areas of the oceanic environment could be cleaned up by naturally occurring microorganisms. It’s one application of new research into how bacteria break down oil, which could also help oil companies assess the quality of new reserves. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released around 5 million … Read more