microbes

Extremely sick patients like Patterson require bespoke phage cocktails that perfectly match their microbes, and may even need new phages as the bacteria evolve.

Their analyses revealed a variety of living and possibly active microbes in the most arid areas.

Once the gut barrier is breached, even friendly microbes can stir up inflammation, causing health issues ranging from overweight to obesity, infections to autoimmune disease, and mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's.

“We’ve got to have the right microbes in order for these locally sourced seeds to flourish,” said Ted Hartsig, a soil scientist for the engineering company Olsson, one of many contractors working on the crossing.

The tsunami sweeping the planet would also have brought iron-rich water from the depths to the surface, giving early microbes extra energy.