Era of new technologies

Even a simple enumeration of the spheres of human endeavour which can be placed on a basically new level, would add up to an impressive list. And the agency which can make this possible is microbes. They exist everywhere — on land and in the air, in the Arctic and in hot spring-lakes, amid mountain ranges and in the depths of the sea. However, the readiest storehouse of microbes is soil. And each microbe may be considered as a chemical plant of tremendous capacity. While some microbes feed on complex vegetable or animal proteins, others confine themselves to ordinary wood wastes and still others simply make do with atmospheric nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

Considering all this, laboratory experiments are advising special artificial media in which microbe "food" is dissolved. Here microorganisms rapidly multiply and in the process of their life activity synthesize food, medicinal and other substances.

A question arises, is the connecting link of animals necessary? Perhaps nutrients which are fed to them can be used by man directly? Perhaps, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc. can be used directly in processing into full-valued foods suitable for man? It has been demonstrated that by combining products derived from microorganisms with traditional types of food man can obtain dishes well balanced in terms of content and protein composition. For example, more than 60 types of "meat" products including beef, chicken-meat, ham, chops, and bacon are currently being produced from soya beans protein in the United States.

Agriculture requires large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers. The problem can be resolved by bacteria capable of absorbing atmospheric nitrogen, of "fixing" it, thus enriching the soil, and of sharply increasing harvests. Moreover, bacteria can help agriculture in the creation of bodies of water. Ponds and lakes are becoming an integral part of farming areas. However, they cannot be created everywhere. In some spots the bed fails to trap the water, which escapes. Modern researchers are determined to devise compact ground artificially, using anaerobic bacteria — microbes capable of living and developing without free oxygen.

In nature microorganisms make an enormous contribution to the formation of some rocks and minerals and to the destruction of others, as well as to the formation of oil and gas deposits. Naturally, such all-powerful bacteria should be made to work for man in these fields as well.

Usually, from 5 to 20 per cent of the ore in depleted ore deposits remains in the earth, defying extraction by modern technical means. Perhaps the only way this underground "cemetery" can be reached is by mobilizing billions upon billions of bacteria, including sulphur and iron ones, otherwise known as thionic microorganisms. They dissolve the metal contained in ores in mine water, which can be extracted without any particular difficulty. Scientists have discovered among the microorganisms "experts" which make it possible to use bacteria in prevailing underground explosions. Methane, for instance, forms an explosive as it mixes with the air. Then one spark is enough to send a tornado of fire rolling through the mine. Scientists have developed an original method of combating methane based on the ability of some organisms to absorb this gas.

Exercise 6. Point out the main idea of each passage of the text above and show proofs in confirmation of your opinion. Look through the text once more and write down the annotation to it.

Exercise 7. Read and translate the text. Render it in English.