TNT buster

Bacterium could help break down the explosive material

BOSTON — Scientists aiming to clean up soil contaminated with TNT may get more bang for their buck if they call in the microbial cavalry.

A bacterium isolated from a Yellowstone hot spring aids in breaking down the explosive chemical, preliminary experiments suggest. Chemical engineer Catherine VanEngelen of the Thermobiology Institute at MontanaStateUniversity in Bozeman presented the work June 4 in Boston at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.