Scientists discover new microbes in Earth's deep soil

Scientists Discover Bizarre New Lifeforms in Earth’s Mysterious Critical Zone

Deep soils vital for life host an active new microbial phylum, CSP1-3. These microbes may be key to innovative water purification and environmental solutions. Scientists have discovered a new phylum of microbes in the Earth’s Critical Zone, deep soil layers that help purify groundwater. As water filters through this zone, these microbes break down leftover [...]

"Living Skin": New Category Of Microbes Found To Dominate Earth's Critical Zone

"Most people would think that these organisms are just like spores or dormant," James Tiedje said. "These microbes are active and slowly growing."

Scientists discover new microbes in Earth’s deep soil

Scientists have discovered a new phylum of microbes in the Earth’s Critical Zone, an area of deep soil that restores water quality. Ground water, which becomes drinking water, passes through where these microbes live, and they consume the remaining pollutants. This zone is crucial for supporting life, as it regulates essential processes like soil formation, water cycling and nutrient cycling, which are vital for food production, water quality an…

Scientists discover new microbes in Earth's deep soil

Scientists have discovered a new phylum of microbes in Earth's Critical Zone, an area of deep soil that restores water quality. Ground water, which becomes drinking water, passes through where these microbes live, and they consume the remaining pollutants. The paper, "Diversification, niche adaptation and evolution of a candidate phylum thriving in the deep Critical Zone," is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

World, Apr 09, 2025 (ATB Digital).- This is a new phylum of microbes that have been discovered at depths of up to 21 meters. The Earth's Critical Zone is the thin layer of the earth's surface that extends from tree tops to deep aquifers; it is a fairly deep ground area that sees life born from the subsoil to tree tops. Now, a team of American scientists have discovered in this layer of the planet a phylum of microbes previously unknown for scien…

Bacterial predators play an essential role in soil ecology. In a study published in PNAS, scientists have used an experimental evolutionary approach to study the effects of...