Millions of visitors make the trek to Yellowstone National Park each year, drawn in by the breathtaking views on offer. But a group of scientists is keen to look beyond the regular sights by building a deep-diving robot that’s designed to investigate the ecosystem of microbes thriving beneath the surface of Lake Yellowstone.
Researching the waters within Yellowstone National Park has proved beneficial to science in the past. The study of Thermus aquaticus, a microbial species found in the Park backcountry, led to the development of a Nobel prize-winning DNA decoding method in the 1970s. Because these organisms live in warm temperatures, similar to those inside our body, scientists believe an understanding of their metabolic and physiological processes could help in the development of cancer-combatting drugs.
via Gizmag
