The environmental sample processor (ESP) is a molecular biology
lab packed (robotic technician and all) inside a canister the
size of a kitchen garbage can. A decade in development, the
present version of the robot works well in surface waters. At
prearranged times or when triggered by another sensor, the ESP
filters 2-L (a half-gallon) of seawater into its metal-alloy
housing. The sample is washed and treated with chemicals that
break down cell membranes. The freed cell contents are then
washed over a wafer and passed to a series of robotic devices.
Within these devices is where the molecular chemistry happens.
Standard tests detect gene products and answer specific
questions: By detecting specific RNA sequences, the system can
find out which organisms are present. Or, by testing for
particular proteins, it can ask what those organisms are doing.
(For example, an RNA test can look for a particular kind of
harmful algae; a protein test can learn how much toxin it is
producing.) In surface waters, these tests