What are the applications of bacteria?

Bacteria have numerous applications across a wide range of industries. 

The pharmaceutical industry uses bacteria to manufacture a wide range of products including antibiotics, starter cultures, probiotics, vaccines, and assorted medications. 

The dairy industry leverages the natural metabolic abilities of bacteria to convert milk into a range of dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, butter, and buttermilk.  

In the agriculture industry, certain bacteria such as actinobacteria, are used to break down nutrient-rich humate into other compounds needed for plant growth. Farmers use this as a fertilizer. 

In various manufacturing plans, bacteria are used to make enzymes, fuels, solvents, and pesticides, ethanol, fuels, and solvents among other products. 

Bacteria are widely used to clean up toxic wastes and oil spills. Their ability to break down oil spills and decompose dead organisms makes them useful as recyclers of the ecosystem. 

In the mining industry, bacteria are used in biomining to recover certain metals such as gold and copper from rock ores or mine waste. They are also used to clean up sites polluted with metals.