Expert on 'flesh-eating' bacteria: At least six different types of vibrios found at BP

Scientists busy studying "oil spill" questions, WLOX, November four, 2010: Dr. Grimes is especially interested in a pathogen called "vibrios", the very best recognized of which causes cholera. But a lesser recognized vibrios, found in gulf waters, can gobble up oil. "We can certainly say that at least six of the vibrios that came from the Deepwater Horizon site possess the dioxigenes gene that's required to decompose a group of compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogenic and toxigenic. So, these are the really poor chemicals in crude oil. And they're of wonderful interest to us," said Dr. Grimes. Darrell Jay Grimes, Ph.D | University of Southern Mississippi: * Department of Coastal Sciences, Marine Microbial Ecology * Member -- GCRL Marine Microbiology Group * Chair -- Advisory Panel, NOAA Oceans and Human Wellness Initiative Investigation in the Marine Microbiology laboratory is primarily focused on the Vibrios. The genus Vibrio now includes over 70 species and is regarded as by most marine microbiologists to comprise the dominant culturable bacteria in the ocean. Considerably of the investigation has focused on V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus...