Come to a basic understanding of thermophilic bacteria at the vent site and use that understanding to create a model of their behavior and life processes.

A thorough understanding of these bacteria could shed light on the processes of extremophiles everywhere. This information could aid in understanding all sorts of previously mysterious microbes. Plus, the quest for knowledge drives us to learn all we can just because that knowledge may help us out some day in the distant future.

In order to determine how the bacteria contribute to their environment, we must first find their byproducts and do an exhaustive laboratory study of their life processes. This exhaustive laboratory study would include sequencing the DNA of all the different species of thermophiles that we discover reside in the vent through gel electrophoresis. Because bacteria have relatively simple genomes and circular DNA, this process would not take too much time. The study would also include subjecting the microbes to all sorts of different environmental conditions, such as temperature, pH, salinity… etc. From that information combined with the analysis of chemical properties of the vent community, we could create a more accurate picture of which microbes reside where in the vent field.

Margesin R., Schinner F. Biodegradation and bioremediation of hydrocarbons in extreme environments. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 56 (5-6), 650-663.