Mighty powerful microbes: New insights into microbes that breathe rocks

Microbes may be miniscule, but they have a massive impact on Earth and its habitability. They are uniquely different from animals, plants, and other eukaryotic organisms in that they can gain energy from ‘breathing’ a surprisingly wide range of surfaces and materials. Microbes also drastically re-shape their environment as they feast on these energy sources, making microbes major players in the cycling and availability of nutrients on Earth. One especially well-known example was the rise of oxygen on Earth due to the metabolism of photosynthetic bacteria. …read more