Bacteria DNA Evolves to Withstand Copper
Marine bacteria have evolved to resist copper-based coatings used on ship hulls to prevent biofouling, necessitating new anti-fouling methods. Researchers from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Duke University studied the genetic characteristics of these copper-resistant bacteria, finding that even control colonies showed high resistance.
Why it matters
This bacterial evolution poses a significant challenge for the shipping industry, potentially increasing maintenance costs and environmental impact if effective new anti-fouling solutions aren't developed. It also highlights the rapid adaptive capabilities of microorganisms.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2026 - Marine bacteria have evolved to bypass the copper-based coatings placed under ships to stop the growth of barnacles, algae, and other marine life. This necessitates new methods for managing biofouling - the unwanted accumulation of marine organisms - on ship hulls.
In Biointerphases, an AVS journal published by AIP Publishing, researchers from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Duke University studied the genetic characteristics of various bacteria species responsible for their survival on copper surfaces, a step toward inhibiting these copper-resistant genes.
"We have observed increasing copper resistance in some of the ports our team frequents over the past decade, particularly in ports with heavy tourist [or] industry shipping activity," said author Kenan Fears. "We wanted to identify the resistance pathways across a diverse microbial community to provide insight into how members of a complex community could be acting symbiotically to resist toxic environments."
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