This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 8:46 AM- LOGAN - A Utah State University microbiologist will study bacteria in the Great Salt Lake that could uncover a solution to global climate change.
The Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute recently approved a $4.5 million grant for the study.
Bart Weimer, director of Utah State's Center for Integrated BioSystems, says the lake contains more than 1,000 different kinds of bacteria. The water favors types that are similar to plants, absorbing carbon dioxide and generating oxygen.
He says that as a result, large amounts of these bacteria might reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and slow climate change.
