And whether the microorganisms come from Yellowstone or elsewhere, Diversa is fast to find out if they carry any marketable chemicals on them.

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In food equipment as in any environment where microorganisms can occur naturally or be spread by contact, it is essential to follow proven steps for cleaning and sanitizing.

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Scientists have been able to survey the distribution of microorganisms only in the lab or in emergency situations like epidemic outbreaks.

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Rather than grow and harvest biomass, such as wood chips or algae, and then process that into fuel, Joule has engineered microorganisms to secrete fuel and chemicals, including ethanol and diesel.

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So it is funding research into getting microorganisms to extract energy from things like metal ions abundant in the earth or solar electricity.

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And when new or rare diseases are found, doctors worldwide turn to the CDC to figure out which microorganisms they are battling.

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