The Earth beneath our feet teems with life invisible to the naked eye, and the discovery of an unfamiliar type of soil-dwelling microbe adds to the complexity of this hidden world. A recent study has dug up evidence of a new phylum of microbes — called CSP1-3 — in a part of Earth referred to as the critical zone. This layer of the planet is where air, water, soil, rocks, and plants interact to create the living skin of Earth.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that CSP1-3 plays a crucial role in purifying water that flows down through the deep soil where it thrives. Researchers are now hoping to find out how these microbes are able to flourish in such an environment.
