Desulfovibrio

Desulfovibrio is a genus of anaerobic bacteria. These rod-shaped, motile organisms are known for their ability to reduce sulfates to hydrogen sulfide. This process is significant in the sulfur cycle, as Desulfovibrio desulficans, for example, converts sulfates in waterlogged soils and sewage into hydrogen sulfide, which is responsible for the characteristic rotten egg smell in such environments. Some species, like D. halohydrocarbonoclasticus, have also been found to increase oil flow in wells by raising gas pressure and enlarging flow channels in rock.12