Microbes living far below Earth's surface have some unusual traits that humans are hoping to exploit. The government of South Africa, for example, launched a programme in 2007 to explore the potential industrial applications of microorganisms and products from the deep biosphere. It is currently evaluating four products for market, says Esta van Heerden, a biochemist at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.rnEnzymes, antimicrobials and antivirals isolated from sub-surface microbes hold promise for the biotechnology industry. One of these enzymes naturally detoxifies an environmental carcinogen from mining ore called hexavalent chromium.
展开▼
机译：生活在地球表面以下的微生物具有人类希望利用的一些非同寻常的特征。例如，南非政府于2007年启动了一项计划，以探索深层生物圈中微生物和产品的潜在工业应用。南非布隆方丹自由国立大学的生物化学家埃斯塔·范·赫登（Esta van Heerden）说，目前它正在评估四种产品的市场。从地下微生物分离出来的酶，抗微生物剂和抗病毒剂对生物技术行业充满希望。这些酶中的一种可从采矿矿石中自然解毒一种环境致癌物，称为六价铬。
展开▼
