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Science 7 February 1997:
Vol. 275. no. 5301, pp. 789 - 790
DOI: 10.1126/science.275.5301.789
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Perspectives

William C. Ghiorse

A surprising array of subterranean microorganisms can be found living in a variety of geological formations. In his Perspective, Ghiorse reports on a recent meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on subsurface microbiology. Among the exciting topics being discussed in this field are new hypotheses on origins and long-term survival of microbial life in deep crustal rocks, subsurface ecosystems supported by chemosynthetic primary production, and the possibility of new sources of industrially important organisms.

The author is in the Section of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101 USA. E-mail: wcg1{at}cornell.edu

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