We recognize that pressure and temperature dependencies in most cells hinder human behavior and life processes. By studying how microorganisms deal with these issues, we can apply that knowledge to humans and possibly manipulate our own cells to act in kind, therein expanding the different environments that humans can withstand. We can also figure out what these bacteria could metabolize that may help our present ecological situation. Because these microbes metabolize such distinctly different things, it wouldn’t be surprising to find that some of them metabolize elements or compounds that pollute the surface of the earth. The ecological implications of pollutant-metabolizing bacteria are far reaching. We have begun to study it already, but our knowledge is cursory at best at the current time. A better understanding could help to save our plagued planet! Biodegradation is the name of the process whereby microbes are used to clean up oil spills or neutralize the pH in a polluted environment.

After studying the microbes in-depth, we should have a relatively good idea of how they exist at the depths that they do. Once we know what the bacteria metabolize, and at which temperatures, it would be a matter of educated guesses and trial and error to determine how useful they could be in metabolizing pollutants. We would need to take some sample pollutants down to the lab and create a mini-oil slick or other polluted water area. We would then unleash each specific microbe that we determined might be advantageous in that situation into the polluted area and qualitatively and quantitatively determine the results. These results would be sent to the surface and taken to work by scientists in the field of biodegradation.

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