Method for accessing microbial diversity

1. A method of accessing bacterial diversity wherein the method comprises:

a) obtaining an environmental sample comprising at least one novel (uncultivated in the laboratory) bacterium, wherein said environmental sample is selected from the group consisting of a body of water, a soil sample, a sample taken from a geological formation, a sample taken from an environment exposed to extreme temperature or pressure, and a plant component,

b) contacting the environmental sample with an effective amount of an agent selected from the group consisting of an esterase, a lipase, a protease, and any combination thereof, wherein said agent interferes with, disrupts, removes, or disenables Type 1 quorum sensing in the environmental sample,

c) growing the treated sample in a culture medium containing said agent,

d) isolating colonies of bacteria grown in step (c); and

e) analyzing the colonies of bacteria and identifying genetic novelty minimally at the species or subspecies level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agent is an esterase that catalyzes a reaction with an acyl homoserine lactone autoinducer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said body of water is selected from the group consisting of a stream, a river, a lake, a pond, a swamp, an ocean, and any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said soil sample is selected from the group consisting of a grass land, a wet land, a tundra, a dry arid region, a farm land, a bottom of a lake, a bottom of a river, a bottom of an ocean, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said environment exposed to extreme temperature or pressure is selected from the group consisting of the Arctic, the Antarctic, a hydrothermal vent, a hot spring, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plant component is selected from the group consisting of a leaf, a rhizosphere, and any combination thereof.