Wisconsin Becomes First State to Name State Microbe, Honoring Cheese-Producing Bacterium
Only 49 to go It's good to know that Wisconsin state legislators can overcome partisan divisions and a host of pressing issues to jointly select an official state microbe -- the Lactococcus lactis bacterium responsible for helping make delicious cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack cheese. That makes Wisconsin the first U.S. state to bestow such an honor upon a microbe, the New York Times reports. Gary Hebl, a Democratic state representative who proposed the bill, was at first dubious of the idea. But he told the New York Times that the microbe "is really a very hard worker." Not to mention that the bacterium might rank up there as an unsung hero for the top cheese-producing state, the newspaper adds. Related ArticlesBacteria Colony May Grow Nanowires to Create Giant Living BiogeobatteryVideo: Computer-Controlled Bacteria Build a Miniature Pyramid Sped-Up Bacteria Could Transform Carbon Dioxide into Natural GasTagsScience, Jeremy Hsu, bacteria, cheese, food, microbes, politics,...