It's not every day that you discover a new species. Sheri Simmons, a graduate student in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program, found a previously unknown bacterium in her proverbial backyard: Salt Pond in Falmouth, Mass. The bacteria incorporate magnetic minerals, making "internal compasses" to orient themselves to Earth's magnetic field. But unlike other magnetotactic bacteria that steer to the north, this one appears to head south.
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