Microbes Deep inside the Earth; October 1996; Scientific American Magazine; by Fredrickson, Onstott; 6 Page(s)

Single-celled organisms--bacteria, fungi and protozoa--thrive on all parts of the earth¿s surface. Their habitats range from the boiling hot waters of thermal springs to the pleasantly cool soils of backyard gardens. Microorganisms provide essential services to other creatures by decomposing waste products and forming nutrients. Some microbes also inflict harm by infecting higher organisms and causing disease. Fortunately, scientists have learned to control many of those damaging effects and to expand on the ways microorganisms benefit humankind.

Although people have used the metabolic activities of microorganisms for thousands of years to produce cheese, wine and bread, it was not until the mid-20th century that scientists harnessed microbes to create antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Today people also employ microorganisms for such diverse tasks as controlling pests, treating sewage and degrading oil spills. With countless novel uses still awaiting discovery, biologists continue to scour the surface of the earth in search of microbes that might prove valuable in formulating new drugs or improving industrial processes. But until recently, few such bio-prospectors thought to look deep inside the earth. Long-standing scientific dogma held that this realm was essentially sterile. But that belief, as it turns out, was wrong.