Laboratory and field investigations during the past ten years have demonstrated that certain microorganisms can cause deleterious effects in jet fuel tank systems. These investigations have brought about new concepts concerning the mechanisms of utilization of certain constituents in jet fuel tanks by microorganisms. Since the presence of microorganisms is inevitable in fuel systems, research efforts have been directed towards identification and determination of the types of microorganisms which can utilize jet fuel hydrocarbons, fuel additives, polyurethane foam structural materials, and particular hydrocarbons present in the fuel.