In 1943, scientists at Rutgers University discovered that streptomyces griseus, a bacteria found in dirt, produced an antibiotic to tuberculosis. More than 70 years later, a bill designating the tiny organism as New Jersey's official state microbe is awaiting Gov. Phil Murphy's signature. 

"I'm thrilled that it's going to the governor's desk, absolutely thrilled," said science writer John Warhol, a Rutgers Ph.D. who's been among those lobbying the bill for more than two years. 

He said it's easier to push for, say, an official state reptile than it is to get people to care about nearly invisible organisms.

"And it's kind of a shame because all life on earth begins and ends with microbes," Warhol said. 

This is assemblywoman @AnnetteQuijano and I after she gave me the honor of casting her YES vote for the NJ state microbe today! #njmicrobe #asm #microbiology 🦠 🔬 pic.twitter.com/zuJE6kcDpE

— John Warhol (@WarholScience) February 26, 2019

In 1952, the Rutgers professor who led the research won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Tuberculosis was among the deadliest diseases in the United States up until the discovery of streptomycin — though it continues to be deadly in poorer countries.  

The State Senate bill quotes a 1947 New York Times article calling streptomycin "one of the two wonder drugs of medicine" which promised to "save more lives than were lost in both World Wars." 

But if that's not convincing enough, Warhol had this: Ringo Starr, the drummer of the Beatles, had tuberculosis as a kid and was treated with streptomycin.

"So if there was no streptomycin, there'd be no Ringo Starr and rock and roll music as we know it would not exist," he said. 

If Murphy signs the bill, New Jersey would become the second state with an official microbe. The first was Oregon, which recognized brewers yeast.