Marine Microbes & Considerations for their Release as Genetically Engineered Organisms
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General microbial processes such as cell-cell interactions and biogeochemical cycling help shape coastal ocean ecosystems. Microbes are also useful tools in bioremediation, disease prevention, fuel generation, and environmental engineering. Therefore, genetic manipulation of such microbes and their various applications in the Ocean can be beneficial to humans but many unknowns remain. This lecture focuses on the potential impacts of releasing genetically engineered bacteria into the Ocean and highlights several potential risks and knowledge gaps.