The American scientist credited with mapping the human genome will speak at the Biological Station on Friday on his work on the life in the Sargasso Sea.

J. Craig Venter's collaboration with the BBSR has led not only to an 18-month research project set to circumnavigate the globe, but may eventually lead to a way of economically producing an alternative fuel source.

Dr. Venter teamed up with BBSR in 2002 to launch a new initiative to sequence and analyse the DNA of micro-organisms in the Sargasso Sea, a large section of the North Atlantic ocean south of Bermuda.

In 2003, scientists from Dr. Venter's Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA), BBSR, and the University of Southern California conducted two research cruises off Bermuda that resulted in the discovery of at least 1,800 new species of micro-organisms and more than 1.2 million new genes from the Sargasso Sea ? a remarkable discovery considering the area was previously thought to be largely devoid of microscopic marine life.

The results were published in the journal Science following a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. last month.

"One of the most important results of this Bermuda study was the discovery of almost 800 new photoreceptor genes," BBSR director and co-investigator on the Sargasso Sea project Dr. Tony Knap said.

The discovery signifies the possibility that certain microbes in the ocean may be using light in ways yet-unknown to humans.

"This discovery may one day lead to a way of economically producing an alternative fuel source, like hydrogen."

Dr. Venter, who is also a BBSR trustee, said: "The field of environmental genomics has the potential to revolutionise the way our oceans, soil, and whole ecosystems and environments are studied.

"Our work in the Sargasso Sea... has shown that there is much that we do not yet understand about the ocean and its inhabitants."

Now, the success of the project inspired the Sorcerer II Expedition, an 18-month research cruise around the world on a mission to identify new microbial species as well as new genes of ecological importance.

Dr. Knap will represent the BBSR on an international committee of scientists ensuring the highest level of science is provided for the expedition.

Described as an "unprecedented undertaking", the research team onboard will collect water samples approximately every 200 miles and then genetically process micro-organisms using the "whole genome shotgun sequencing" technique ? a way of mapping DNA which bypasses the traditional, labour-intensive method.

Dr. Venter's lecture at the BBSR on Friday night is entitled "Ocean Genomics: Shotgun Sequencing of the Sargasso Sea and Beyond".

Dr. Venter will give the free public lecture at 5 p.m. in the BBSR's Hanson Hall, following the station's Annual General Meeting at 4 p.m. For more information, contact Gillian Hollis at 297-1880 ext. 237.