Vote for the Official State Microbe!
Bruce Springsteen and Thomas Edison are two of the biggest names that come to mind when you think of New Jersey icons. But we’ve got another name to add to your list of “Garden State Heroes”: Streptomyces griseus!
Streptomyces griseus–an amazing microbe discovered right here in the Garden State–led to the first cure for tuberculosis, gives soil its earthy scent, and is a featured player in LSC’s stunning new gallery, Microbes Rule!
And now, you can join Liberty Science Center in supporting the movement to make Streptomyces griseus the official state microbe of New Jersey.
Sign our change.org petition and show your support for having Streptomyces griseus recognized by the state! If passed, we would be the second state to declare an official state microbe.
After you sign the petition, head to our new exhibition, Microbes Rule!, and learn more about the power of microbes.
Our cutting-edge gallery uses art, music, and technology to unravel the hidden beauty behind microbes. Discover a glowing gallery of microbial art made by microbiologists, synthetic biologists, and artists using cutting-edge scientific techniques. Create a virtual microbe painting at an interactive touch table that mimics the real tools and techniques of laboratories. Listen to a soundtrack of “microbe beats” created by MIT Synthetic Biologist David Sun Kong.
The exhibition also spotlights the history of Streptomyces griseus, which is significant in our state and country.
Discovered in New Jersey in 1916, the microbe drew international acclaim for its groundbreaking use as an antibiotic. In 1943, a research team from Rutgers–led by Dr. Selman Waksman with Albert Schatz and Elizabeth Bugie–used it to create streptomycin, the world’s first antibiotic for tuberculosis.
After clinical trials showed that streptomycin cured ailing tuberculosis patients, Merck & Company, a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company, quickly made the drug available to the public.
Within ten years of streptomycin’s release, tuberculosis mortality rates in the U.S. fell to a historic low, saving millions of lives and ending tuberculosis as one of the leading causes of death in America.
As a pioneer in scientific and medical innovation, New Jersey deserves this recognition. Sign the petition and show your support for establishing Streptomyces griseus as the official state microbe! Let’s celebrate scientific excellence to encourage and inspire the next generation that will cure diseases, solve problems, and change the world.
