For example, xanthan gum, from the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, is widely used in foodstuffs and cosmetics. It is used in large quantities during drilling for oil, particularly in horizontal drilling, as a mud thickening agent with excellent rheological properties. Marine bacteria are expected to be a valuable source of new exopolysaccharides with diverse and useful functional and structural properties. Marine-derived silica may be used as a carrier or stabiliser of manufactured products, can confer unique properties to adhesives or paints, and may be used as an insulator or filler of materials.