The extent of biological diversity being revealed by molecular techniques accentuates the need to develop methods to isolate and culture the large numbers of microorganisms that remain to be studied. The discovery and characterization of novel microorganisms will provide information useful in understanding microbial ecosystems and have the potential to lead to new products for the biotechnology industry. In this review, the use of innovative techniques and exploration of unusual ecosystems, that have begun to address the challenge of isolating the "uncultured" members of the microbial population, are examined.