New Chlamydia Species Found Deep Under The Arctic Ocean
Daily Express
A team of researchers has discovered several new chlamydia-related species below the Arctic Ocean.
Although it is the same bacteria that we know causes the STD, this species is different because it doesn’t depend on interactions with humans or animals to survive. Jennah Dharamshi, a PhD student at Uppsala University in Sweden and the leader of the study, said in a press release:
“Chlamydiae in this environment was completely unexpected, and of course begged the question what on earth were they doing there?”
In a place with no oxygen and without an apparent host organism, researchers were definitely surprised at their findings. The discovery could shed new light on how chlamydia came to infect humans and other animals.
Researchers came across a number of diverse “cousins” of chlamydia between 0.1 and 9.4 meters below the seafloor. While no other host organisms are used for the new chlamydia-related bacteria, the species is suspected to be getting fuel from other microorganisms deep in the ocean sediment.
Regardless of what they find out, those chlamydia species can stay right where they’re at!
