RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD?

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Steele's wisecrack raises a serious question. Might some of these microorganisms be dangerous -- an ancient Andromeda Strain like the killer germ in another Crichton novel? Absolutely not, argues Steele, who stresses that Ambergene is very selective in the microbes it chooses to cultivate, carefully checking their genetic and ecological profiles to exclude possible pathogens. In addition, she notes, most of Ambergene's microbes are related to modern-day organisms of known habits. Still, experience with rabbits in Australia and kudzu in the Southern U.S. shows that seemingly innocuous plants and animals can misbehave when taken out of their original environments. And while most experts believe that the danger posed by ancient microbes is small, the idea that they have traveled from a time so distant is still unsettling to many people.

What few nonscientists realize is that nature is packed with all sorts of creatures that have changed little from ancient times. For that reason, some of Ambergene's potential competitors view the company's business strategy as something of a gimmick. There's hardly any need to prospect for ancient life forms in amber, says David Miller, vice president of research and development at EcoScience, based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Microbes that trace their roots back millions of years exist all over the place, even in suburban backyards. Moreover, as a source for discovering new, more effective drugs, amber is by no means a sure thing. Why not focus instead on compounds produced by the billions of living microbes still waiting to be identified?

Much more important than the commercial fate of Ambergene is the awesome scientific significance of what Cano may have done. If other laboratories confirm that microbes can survive over tens of millions of years, then humanity may gain new respect for the uncounted hordes of invisible organisms that dominate the world through the eons, even as bigger, supposedly smarter creatures come and go.

--Reported by David Bjerklie/New York