Bacteria in the oceans of the world can use solar power effectively to develop due to a pigment absorbs light special.

This discovery was made ​​by researchers at the University of Kalmar in Sweden, with the collaboration of researchers in Gothenburg, Sweden and Spain. This discovery was published in a paper in the journal Nature.

It has long been thought that algae are the only creatures in the sea that can use light to grow, according Jarone Pinhassi, the study of marine organisms at the University of Kalmar. The microalgae conducts the same process as green plants on land, this process is called photosynthesis with the help of chlorophyll.

In 2000 scientists in the United States for the first time found that many marine bacteria have a gene in their DNA coding for a pigment that absorbs light, it is proteorhodopsin.

Proteorhodopsin related to a pigment in the retina that allows humans to see colors. This pigment can allow bacteria to absorb sunlight to generate energy, but so far can not seem to confirm this hypothesis.

Last year researchers from Kalmar collected 20 marine bacteria from different ocean areas and mapping their genome. Few of them are proven to contain pigment proteorhodopsin. This we can conduct a series of experiments to point out that the growth of bacteria with this pigment is stimulated by light, because this pigment transfer solar energy to development. In addition, scientists have found a new type of bacterial photosynthesis occurs at sea.

It is easier to understand the importance of knowing the new mechanisms in marine bacteria as this will make the use of solar energy effectively, if we think about the fact that a liter of seawater contains approximately one billion bacteria. Activity of these bacteria contribute important in the carbon cycle, such as the amount of CO2 that we produce, as well as the way in which the solar energy is converted to earth how nutrients cycle through .

"Bacteria on the surface of the world ocean swimming in a sea of light." Jarone Pinhassi said. "And it's not too surprising that evolution makes organisms can use this abundant energy source. This protein may also play a role in the commercial prospects and the environment, for the development of artificial photosynthesis to produce energy-friendly environment ".