Glycolate-excreting bacteria from the hotsprings of Yellowstone.
Microbe Wiki
Today, we can use microbes to produce many valuable chemical compounds, such as biofuels (including methane and ethanol) and medical products (such as antibiotics). We can also use micro-organisms to recyle wastewater by eliminating dissolved organic matter.
Over the past two decades, scientists have investigated how humans can use new biological systems that do not occur in nature. For instance, bacteria can be genetically modified to act as“bio-sensors”, and light up in the presence of certain compounds, such as oil or even pathogens.
We can also engineer species to work with other microbes, which could lead to entirely new biological systems with enhanced capabilities. Over the past 10 years, the use of these microbial consortia (or co-populations) have become more common. By associating different bio-engineered microbes with one another, the new community can perform different tasks and even outperform those possible with a single species.