About the Microbiome Study
Perhaps nowhere in the world is a waterway being more closely analyzed than the Chicago Area Waterway System. Scientists with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory are conducting a groundbreaking seven-year study that is showing early indications of healthy and diverse microbial communities. The many colors below highlight the vast diversity of bacteria found in the Chicago River. Each column is a different site, and each color represents a unique bacterial species. In the video, Dr. Jack Gilbert from Argonne National Lab explores the Chicago area waterways with the MWRD and offers a glimpse into this comprehensive study.
