Cultivating the unseen:Lessons from James Tiedje

In recounting Dr.James M.Tiedje's outstanding research achievements spanning the past 55 years,it is easy to overlook his early and mid-career endeavors.Specifically,his contribution to the aerobic degradation of pesticides and other chemicals,as well as methanogenic degradation of those compounds retains their brilliance.Many researchers in environmental microbiology have gained invaluable knowledge from these studies,which have been applied to the elucidation of previously uncultivated microorganisms.