The "pompeii" worm

DRI scientists Joseph J. Grzymski and Alison E. Murray revealed new research on the “pompeii” worm, Alvinella pompejana. The worm is one of the world’s most temperature tolerant multi-cellular organisms. It lives at the bottom of the ocean in tubes of deep sea vents with temperatures between 50-150ºF.

The worm is host to a visibly dense “fleece” of bacteria on its back. The bacteria are common in hydrothermal vent ecosystems and more widely known as human and cow pathogens.

More Information

• Publication: "Metagenome analysis of an extreme microbial symbiosis reveals eurythermal adaptation and metabolic flexibility"

Collaborators

• DRI
• University of Delaware
• University of Waikato
• SymBio Corp

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