In a remarkable achievement for both science and Barbados, Dr. Bidyut Mohapatra of The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus has made an extraordinary discovery: a new bacterium he named Chryseobacterium barbadensis—in honor of the island.
This bacterium was isolated from decomposed Sargassum seaweed found at Long Beach in August 2018, marking a major advancement in microbiology and environmental research.
The bacterium’s ability to break down critical components of Sargassum seaweed—such as cellulose and alginate—sets it apart as a significant discovery. Mohapatra highlighted that it was the first time anyone had discovered such a bacterium, as cultivating it had proven to be a challenging task.
The discovery of the microorganism came two years after the researcher in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Technology began working with the algae.
“It was a very lengthy process and I used smart cleaning techniques, which I developed in my labs, to isolate the new species.”
“The microorganism is made up of degrading alginate as well as cellulose, two important components present in Sargassum biomass that can be used in biofuel production. It’s environmentally friendly.”
The microorganism has since been independently validated by the Belgian Coordinated Collection of Microorganism (BCCM/LMG) and the German-type Culture Collection (DSMZ).
The verification process concluded in July 2024 when the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) based in the United States issued Dr. Mohapatra his certificate authenticating the discovery. This NCBI is globally recognized as a repository of verifiable biomedical and genomic information.
With this, Chryseobacterium barbadensis secured a permanent place in scientific literature and further solidified Barbados' role in global scientific exploration.
“Although I worked with NASA, this is the first time I’ve made such a discovery. I worked in Antarctica as well as Greenland, in the North and South Poles, but I never found this. This is the first time I’ve been able to discover a microorganism. I was not expecting this, and it made me very excited.”
Reflecting on his decision to name the bacterium after Barbados, the microbiologist explained that his childhood admiration for the island’s cricket culture played a significant role in his choice.
The bacterium’s potential extends beyond academic curiosity. Outside of official recognition, it holds great potential for addressing the environmental challenges posed by large swaths of Sargassum washing ashore on beaches across the Caribbean, threatening ecosystems.
Therefore, its ability to break down Sargassum could provide an innovative solution to the seaweed’s overgrowth.
The researcher said steps have been taken to secure the associated intellectual property rights
and investigations continue into all potential applications of the microorganism.