Microbiology and the Environment

Microbiology research is supported across USGS Science Disciplines Biology, Geography, Geology, and Water.*

What's New : Influenza: Transmission, Spread, and Potential Risk; Spread from Eurasia into North America; Surveillance in Wild Mammals
Fish and Wildlife Disease Researchers bring understanding to how diseases interact with their fish and wildlife hosts.	Bioremediation Scientists discover how microbes can clean up contamination in the environment.
Climate Change Microbes and their impact on the Earth's climate are studied to discover the role microbes play in climate change.	Energy From supplying energy to impacting human health, scientists study the microbes that play a role in the Nation's energy resources.
Ecosystem Function The latest tools and techniques are used to understand the role of microbes in shaping the environment.	Geographic Patterns Scientists provide insight on the distribution of microbes that impact public health and ecosystem function.
Geomicrobiology Researchers investigate how microbes interact with the nonliving parts of Earth such as soils, sediment, and atmosphere.	Human Health Using microbes, scientists study environmental agents that can impact human health.
Microbial Ecology Scientists use the latest techniques to understand the living community of microbes in the environment.	Water Quality Chemicals, algal blooms, and pathogens are measured and monitored to assist beach health and other water quality programs.
- All samples of USGS microbiology research activities

*Research summaries are contributed by USGS scientists and information specialists from across USGS disciplines. For the goals of this Web site, see "Feedback about the Web site" under Contact Us.

 

Arsenic, Evolution, and Extraterrestrial Life

What might extra-terrestrial life look like? and given a lack of water and oxygen, what might it use to survive?

Arsenic-eating bacteria on Earth may hold the answers to these questions. USGS scientists, with the support of NASA, have discovered that these microbes existed on Earth much earlier than expected, when Earth was more similar to the water and oxygen deprived conditions of other planets.

Read about the discovery: Arsenic-eating bacteria rewrite evolutionary history

Read the latest scientific article:

Oremland, Ronald S., Saltikov, Chad W., Wolfe-Simon, Felisa and Stolz, John F. 2009. Arsenic in the Evolution of Earth and Extraterrestrial Ecosystems. Geomicrobiology Journal, 26:7, 522 — 536. DOI: 10.1080/01490450903102525 (online abstract and full text)

New Staff: Felisa Wolfe-Simon has joined Ronald S. Oremland's team at the Menlo Park Regional Office, California Water Science Center. See a sample of her research: Searching for Alien Life on Earth

USGS microbiology capabilities develop at science centers where scientists use the latest methods and equipment to provide services for partners and customers.

• Science Centers - centers across the U.S. with microbiology expertise
  
• Scientists - contact information and research links

Cyanobacteria, human cells, other microbes, and more: images captured by USGS personnel related to their microbiology research.

- More images

USGS Microbiology Coordinator
Kay M. Briggs
Phone: 703-648-4046

Scientists may be contacted through the Microbiology Scientists page or by the USGS Employee Directory.