Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photosynthetic organisms which are found across many ecosystems, including freshwater and marine habitats. They are also found on natural and artificial surfaces. In this study, we cultured and characterise a novel cyanobacterium from the surfaces of foam microplastics of tropical coastal waters. We study the chemical ecology of this cyanobacterium, Sphaerothrix gracilis gen. et sp. nov., together with its potential to form harmful cyanobacterial blooms and bioremediation applications to combat plastic pollution. The genome of S. gracilis spanned 6.7 Mbp, with identification of antibiotic resistance, nitrogen-fixation, plastic-degrading and genes involved in harmful metabolite production. The transport of potentially harmful S. gracilis in coastal environments could have severe implications on human health and food security, especially in times of a cyanobacterial bloom.

蓝细菌是产氧光合生物，存在于许多生态系统中，包括淡水和海洋栖息地。它们也存在于天然和人造表面上。在这项研究中，我们从热带沿海水域的泡沫微塑料表面培养并表征了一种新型蓝藻。我们研究了这种蓝细菌Sphaerothrix gracilis gen的化学生态学。等 十一月，及其形成有害蓝藻华的潜力以及对抗塑料污染的生物修复应用。S. gracilis的基因组跨度为 6.7 Mbp，鉴定出抗生素抗性、固氮、塑料降解和涉及有害代谢物产生的基因。潜在有害的细小细线藻在沿海环境中的传播可能对人类健康和粮食安全产生严重影响，特别是在蓝藻大量繁殖的时期。