Learning from the life living in Superfund sites
Assistant Professor Elizabeth Hénaff is leading research discovering microbes in heavily polluted Superfund sites like Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal can naturally clean up contamination. Her team identified 455 microbial species with 1,171 genes processing heavy metals and 64 biochemical pathways degrading pollutants. "We've never not lived in a microbial world," Hénaff says. "I think they're the ones who are going to get us through the rapid changes our planet is experiencing." The research suggests cheaper, sustainable alternatives to costly dredging operations for environmental cleanup.
