New Jersey is a few steps away from becoming the second state in the U.S. to have its own state microbe.

The New Jersey Senate voted unanimously Thursday to designate Streptomyces griseus as the official state microbe.

The microbe was discovered in New Jersey in the early 1900s and helped create the world’s first antibiotic for tuberculosis. Legislators are now looking to give it the recognition they feel it deserves.

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Streptomyces griseus (Wikimedia Commons)

Meet streptomyces griseus

Streptomyces griseus is a soil-based microorganism that was first discovered in 1916 by Dr. Selman Waksman and Dr. Roland Curtis.

It was used by a team of Rutgers scientists, led by Waksman and Dr. Albert Schatz, in 1943 to create streptomycin, the world’s first antibiotic for tuberculosis.

"Within ten years of streptomycin’s release, tuberculosis mortality rates in the U.S. fell to a historic low, with only 9.1 tuberculosis-related deaths per 100,000 people in 1955 compared to the rate of 194 deaths per 100,000 people in 1900," the bill states.

Dr. Selman Waksman was later awarded a Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1952 for his work in discovering in the microbe.

But even with this accolade, the authors of the bill still feel Waksman and the other scientists are not remembered as well as they should be.

"Although Streptomyces griseus and streptomycin were two of the most consequential discoveries of the twentieth century, few people remember these historical accomplishments or the distinguished New Jerseyans who helped cure the deadliest disease of their age, the bills states. "Designating Streptomyces griseus as the official microbe of New Jersey will raise public awareness of this great achievement."

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Vote NOW to make streptomycin-producing microbe, Streptomyces griseus the State Microbe of NJ! Discovered by Rutgers SEBS Schatz, Bugie & Waksman in 1944. It produces streptomycin & is active towards gram-negative pathogens and the tubercule bacillus. https://t.co/w55nxg6AyS pic.twitter.com/Ynt1zBVCnC — Rutgers SEBS (@RutgersSEBS) April 2, 2018

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The next steps

The bill, which is sponsored by Senator Samuel Thompson (R-Middlesex) and was introduced on Feb. 5, now must be passed by the Assembly and signed by Governor Phil Murphy.

If this occurs, New Jersey would join Oregon as the second state to have an official state microbe.

Oregon designated Saccharomyces cerevisiae, more commonly known as brewer's yeast or baker's yeast, as the official state microbe in 2013 to honor the state's craft-brewing industry.

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Who would vote against Streptomyces griseus as state microbe? https://t.co/sx4CkwkbkN pic.twitter.com/x411e6DPGS — Carl Zimmer (@carlzimmer) January 9, 2018

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Honeybees, blueberries and Streptomyces griseus?

If the bill makes its way through the appropriate channels, Streptomyces griseus will be added to the New Jersey's various state symbols.

Here's a look at all of them:

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New Jersey state seal (NJ.gov)

State seal

Pierre Eugene du Simitiere created New Jersey's state seal in 1777, according to NJ.gov. It contains five symbols and each represents something about New Jersey.

The helmet and the horse's head crest represent New Jersey's independence as a state.

The woman holding a staff with a liberty cap on top is Liberty, who represents freedom.

The woman on the right is the Roman goddess of grain, Ceres. This represents the many fruits and vegetables produced in the state.

The three plows on the shield symbolize New Jersey's tradition of agriculture.

The state's motto "Liberty and Prosperity" is written on the scroll.

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The New Jersey state flag (NJ.gov)

State flag

New Jersey's state flag was adopted in 1896 and is colored buff, yellowish-tan color, and dark blue, according to NJ.gov. Those were the colors George Washington chose for the flag of New Jersey's army regiments during the Revolutionary War.

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The New Jersey state flower, the violet (Lorraine Kiefer)

State flower

The state flower, the violet, can commonly be found throughout New Jersey's field's lawns and meadows.

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The New Jersey state bird, the eastern goldfinch (Debra LaQuaglia | Inside Jersey)

State bird

The state bird, the eastern goldfinch, has bright yellow feathers and a black head and wings and loves sunflower seeds, according to NJ.gov.

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The state tree, the Red Oak. (Myles Ma/NJ.com)

State tree

The state tree, the red oak, is a hardwood tree that has pointy-lobed leaves with prickly tips that turn bright red in the fall, according to NJ.gov.

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The state bug, the honeybee (John Parke)

State bug

The honeybee became the state bug when the Legislature enacted the bill, A-671, and Gov. Brendan T. Byrne signed it on June 20, 1974, according to NJ.gov.

They were encouraged by a group of children from the Sunnybrae School in Hamilton Township who came to the state house with a presentation about the insect.

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The state animal, the horse (Lillian Shupe | For NJ.com)

State animal

Michael McCarthy and his fifth grade class at Our Lady of Victories School in Harrington Park and James Sweetman, an eighth grader from Freehold, helped make the horse New Jersey's state animal in 1977, according to NJ.gov.

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The state fish, the brook trout (Emily Cummins | For NJ.com)

State fish

The state fish, the brook trout, is native to New Jersey, according to NJ.gov.

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The state shell, the knobbed whelk (Wikimedia Commons)

State shell

The knobbed whelk shell, also known as the conch shell, is the state shell and can be found along several New Jersey beaches and bays.

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The state ship, the A.J. Meerwald (NJ.com file photo)

State ship

The state ship, the A.J. Meerwald, is a Delaware Bay Oyster Schooner that was originally built in 1928 in Dorchester to meet the needs of New Jersey's oyster fishing industry, according to NJ.gov.

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The state fruit, the blueberry (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

State fruit

The blueberry, which was first cultivated in Pemberton, became the official state fruit in 2004 shortly after a group of fourth graders from Veteran's Memorial Elementary School in Brick campaigned for it to have the title, according to NJ.gov.

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The state dinosaur, the Hadrosaurus foulkii (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

State dinosaur

The state dinosaur, Hadrosaurus foulkii, was discovered in 1858 when fossil hobbyist William Parker Foulke was vacationing in Haddonfield, New Jersey. He discovered the bones of the prehistoric beast during a dig at a local marl pit, according to NJ.gov.

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The state dance, the square dance (Photo by Christina Izzo/The Times)

State Dance

The Square Dance was designated as the American Folk Dance of the State of New Jersey by Joint Resolution No. 1, 1983, according to NJ.gov.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.