The frontiers of microbiology have opened onto an unforseen universe through the use of pcr (the polymerase chain reaction - a surprisingly simple process that allows minute amounts of DNA to be replicated in the "test tube" so that it can be studied) and DNA sequencing.

Previously we could only study the bacteria that we could see and/or could grow in artificial conditions. By being able to scan for DNA, now we can see that there's much, much more out there... cyanobacteria ain't the half of it.

And, for MUSIC content: The PCR Song.

(For more info, see links here: links.)

~ Becky in L.A.
(but who works in Tucson in a microbial genomics lab -- my training is in vertebrate behavior; it's a whole different world...)