Microbes are everywhere, but we can’t see them. They make us sick, but we can’t live without them. Microbes are an important part in our earth's natural environment, but we understand so little about them.

Most of us think of microbes as disease-causing germs if we think about them at all. Yet those who study this mysterious, silent, invisible world know that the living things that populate it do far more good than harm.

Micro-organisms or microbes really do keep our world turning! Although existing in a largely unseen world, microbes have a major impact on our existence as well as plants. They can be used to control disease through production of antibiotics or by acting as biological control agents, are a major source of useful products, including pharmaceuticals, food supplements, and insecticidal compounds, and have a key environmental role in decomposition of organic matter, including wood decay and the processing of human wastes.