Characterizing how bacterial metabolism impacts petroleum environments to improve geophysical sensing of oil reservoirs

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Bacteria have a huge but under-appreciated impact on the petroleum industry. Bacteria can have beneficial effects, as when they refine oil into more useful forms, or bacteria can have detrimental effects, as when they foul crude oil with unwanted chemicals. Furthermore, bacteria are responsible for detoxifying oil-contaminated environments and restoring ecosystem balance following an oil spill. Because bacteria are found everywhere, including in oil wells, pipelines, and storage tanks, their activities impact many aspects of the petroleum industry, making it imperative that scientists determine how industrial processes promote or hinder specific bacterial activities like refining, fouling, and detoxification. This knowledge is an asset to the industry as it can lead to improved oil recovery and help mitigate the impacts of pollution events.