Millennium bugs

Microbiology has a long way to go. Microbes are ubiquitous, and all other life forms in the biosphere exist solely because of them, but, as less than 1% of microorganisms can be grown in the laboratory, more than a century of research has revealed only the tip of the iceberg concerning this most crucial of life sciences. There are many intellectual challenges remaining. The flow of complete sequences of bacterial genomes is likely to spawn renewed research in answering many questions of concern to academic, medical and industrial interests. Elucidating the roles of microbes, the oldest and most vital inhabitants of the biosphere, in the evolutionary process and in the maintenance of other life forms will be the major thrust in the years to come.