= Farooq Azam
{c}
<Farooq Azam> is a <biologist> studying the roles of marine <bacteria> in <ecosystems> and <biogeochemical cycles>. With <Kay D. Bidle>, he showed that marine bacterial assemblages accelerate dissolution of the <silica> shells of <diatoms>. Removing the organic covering through microbial activity helps expose the mineral to dissolution, connecting the breakdown of biological material to recycling of a mineral nutrient.<Accelerated dissolution of diatom silica by marine bacterial assemblages by Kay D. Bidle and Farooq Azam>[1999, abstract and experiments on bacterial processing of diatom detritus]{ref}
The result makes microscopic decomposition relevant to the ocean's <silicon cycle>: the persistence of a <diatom> shell depends on its biological coating and associated <bacteria>, as well as the chemistry of <silica> itself.
\Image[https://today.ucsd.edu/news_uploads/Azam-Headshot-705.jpg]
{title=Portrait of <Farooq Azam>}
{description=Identified portrait accompanying the university announcement.}
{source=https://today.ucsd.edu/story/marine-microbiologist-farooq-azam-receives-kyoto-prize}
{width=260}
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