Bioprecipitation is the concept of rain-making bacteria and was proposed by David Sands from Montana State University before 1983.
The formation of ice in clouds is required for snow and most rainfall. Dust and soot particles can serve as ice nuclei, but biological ice nuclei are capable of catalyzing freezing at much warmer temperatures.
The ice-nucleating bacteria currently known are mostly plant pathogens. Recent research suggests that bacteria may be present in clouds as part of an evolved process of dispersal.
Ice-nucleating bacteria are used in cloud seeding.
