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1.new energy sources (biofuels)
2.environmental monitoring to detect pollutants
3.protection from biological and chemical warfare
4.safe, efficient toxic waste cleanup
5.understanding disease vulnerabilities and revealing drug targets

In 1994, taking advantage of new capabilities developed by the genome
project, DOE initiated the Microbial Genome Program to sequence the
genomes of bacteria useful in energy production, environmental
remediation, toxic waste reduction, and industrial processing.
Despite our reliance on the inhabitants of the microbial world, we
know little of their number or their nature: estimates are that less
than 0.01% of all microbes have been cultivated and characterized.
Programs like the DOE Microbial Genome Program help lay a foundation
for knowledge that will ultimately benefit human health and the
environment. The economy will benefit from further industrial
applications of microbial capabilities.
Information gleaned from the characterization of complete genomes in
MGP will lead to insights into the development of such new
energy-related biotechnologies as photosynthetic systems, microbial
systems that function in extreme environments, and organisms that can
metabolize readily available renewable resources and waste material
with equal facility.
Expected benefits also include development of diverse new products,
processes, and test methods that will open the door to a cleaner
environment. Biomanufacturing will use nontoxic chemicals and enzymes
to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of industrial processes.
Already, microbial enzymes are being used to bleach paper pulp, stone
wash denim, remove lipstick from glassware, break down starch in
brewing, and coagulate milk protein for cheese production. In the
health arena, microbial sequences may help researchers find new human
genes and shed light on the disease-producing properties of pathogens.
Microbial genomics will also help pharmaceutical researchers gain a
better understanding of how pathogenic microbes cause disease.
Sequencing these microbes will help reveal vulnerabilities and
identify new drug targets.
Gaining a deeper understanding of the microbial world also will
provide insights into the strategies and limits of life on this
planet. Data generated in this young program already have helped
scientists identify the minimum number of genes necessary for life and
confirm the existence of a third major kingdom of life. Additionally,
the new genetic techniques now allow us to establish more precisely
the diversity of microorganisms and identify those critical to
maintaining or restoring the function and integrity of large and small
ecosystems; this knowledge also can be useful in monitoring and
predicting environmental change. Finally, studies on microbial
communities provide models for understanding biological interactions
and evolutionary history.