Subscription Center
Apr 9, 2009
The algae floating in the sea are microscopic plants of great consequence on a global level. They conduct a big chunk of the world's photosynthesis (turning sunlight into chemical energy); they control the carbon cycle (taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it away), and they form the base of the ocean's food pyramid, allowing other plants and animals to flourish.
To gain a better understanding of how algae do all this, a large team of scientists led by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Insitute (MBARI) have unraveled the genetic code of two Micromonas algae: one from the South Pacific and one from the English Channel. The tiny plants, just two micrometers in diameter or roughly 1/50th the width of a human hair, boast genomes containing approximately 10,000 genes.
See what we're tweeting about
BoraZ RT @bug_girl: In which I document the only time I know of cicadas were used to commit a felony. http://t.co/YV9oCPKF8X BoraZ Party At Ramsey’s http://t.co/aRFYUy5lJv
BecCrew RT @KotakuAU Fine Art: Some Of The Best Video Game Concept Art On The Planet - http://t.co/j0kfqwy5vM
Deadline: Jul 15 2013
Reward: $5,000 USD
SciBX: Science-Business eXchange, a joint publication from the makers
Deadline: Jul 30 2013
Reward: $100,000 USD
The Seeker desires a method for producing pseudoephedrine products in such a way that it will be extremely difficult for clandestine che
Powered By: 
YES! Send me a free issue of Scientific American with no obligation to continue the subscription. If I like it, I will be billed for the one-year subscription.
