A British scientist named Tumeo recently did an experiment on pseudomonas.  His goal was to see what conditions these bacteria work best in the Antarctic.  Tumeo used twelve wooden boxes in his experiment.  “Into some, he's added the following unsavory ingredients: a cubic foot of diesel-soaked soil, sewage, and surfactants, which are chemicals that break the surface tension of the soil to allow bacteria easier access to the diesel fuel.”  After one year he concluded the best ideas might be to warm up the soil, because in freezing conditions the bacteria do not work very well.