Bacteria, fungi, and microalgae—living things too small to be seen with the naked eye—are microorganisms that are commonly used for chemical production via their fermentation. The development of Mycoplasma mycoides in 2010, an artificial microorganism, has highlighted the technology that is utilized to develop industrial microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and yeast as "cell factories" for producing petroleum-substituting chemicals and pharmaceuticals.