Kevin Hendrick Current Event 1

Kevin Hendrick                      11/2/14

Earth Science D135          Mrs. McClellan

Storrs, Carina. "Fighting Poisons With Bacteria." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Sept. 2014. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

“Fighting Poisons with Bacteria”- By Carina Storrs

The article, “Fighting Poisons with Bacteria”, by Carina Storrs describes scientists using microbes to try to reduce the amount of the harmful chemical arsenic in rice. Arsenic is commonly found in rice, and when one is often exposed to it there have

been links to heart disease, diabetes, and higher risks of cancer. Dr. Harsh Bais, a professor at Delaware University and other biologists found a bacteria, Pantoea Agglomerans, that may be the solution to this growing issue P. Agglomerans reduces the amount of a plant’s arsenic level to one-eighth of the original level when put in the rice plant’s micro biome. Agriculture companies are using bacteria on plants including corn and soybean to produce more fruit but use less fertilizer and endure disease or pests better. At the University of California, Venkatesan Sundaresan is conducting a thorough study of the rice micro biome and has discovered more than 250,000 bacteria is the micro biome. Dr. Bais and Dr. Sundaresan are collaborating, as Dr. Sundaresan sent samples of soil from his rice plants in his test field. Eleven different bacteria were isolated and Dr. Bais further tested the bacteria to see how they affected the growth of the rice plants. What is the breakthrough is that P. Agglomerans is the first bacteria known to reduce arsenic levels. This discovery is one small step in further reducing arsenic in rice; other strategies include breeding and genetic modification. Plant geneticist Shannon Pinson stated,”I would love the microbes to add to the genetic possibilities of water management and shortening the growing period.”(2)

This discovery has major implications for society because of how much rice our world consumes. Rice is a staple in the diets of many cultures and societies. Arsenic is very common in the soil of India of other Asian countries, where a majority of the world’s rice is produced. Therefore, if arsenic levels could be reduced to one-eighth of the original level, then that would vastly diminish the health risks of eating rice. The risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes would decrease immensely. On a personal level, I eat rice three of four times a week. This would be a major breakthrough for all people around the world, and this is only the first step to solving this issue.

This was a mostly well-written article by Carina Storrs, but I think it was written prematurely. I say this because there are still many questions that need answers in this particular field. The researchers of this bacteria still do not know how it being in the plant’s micro biome affects the growth of the rice. The scientists will have to wait until the next growing season to verify their theories. Also, the researchers do not know exactly how the arsenic-fighting bacterium works, although there are many theories about how arsenic is shielded from the plant’s micro biomes. Third, the scientists do not know whether the bacteria could survive in the competition of other soil bacteria in the micro biome. On the other hand, this article can be viewed as a good starting point to what seems to be a very promising study for these scientists, as more of the questions will be answered in the future. The author also did impressive research on this topic, interviewing different scientists and researchers as well as the complex information about plants’ micro biomes. Overall, the writer did a good job describing this topic and the implications it has on our society.

Link To Article