In 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency declared the North Railroad Avenue Plume (NRAP) a Superfund site. The chemical PCE (perchloroethylene) found its way into the groundwater of several communities in New Mexico via leakage from a local dry-cleaner.

In a recent article published by the journal PLOS One, researchers identified two bacteria, Dehalococcoides mccartyi and Dehalobacter restrictus, that work together to break down PCE into the chemical compound ethene. Applying genome sequencing and analysis, the researchers identified other bacteria and microbial processes that support PCE biodegradation. The results demonstrate that it takes a (microbial) community to clean up a Superfund site. Learn more here on the JGI website.