Perhaps Keith was referring to the use of the term "autotroph". Autotroph is a rather broad term that includes the photosynthetic plants and cyanobacteria. Some types of plants are of course dangerous to humans. Autotroph might also apply to algae some of which can be dangerous to humans. Levin has argued that some of Viking lander images show greenish spots on rocks that appear to be lichen. Lichen are colony creatures that contain both algae and fungi. There are known both fungi and algae species dangerous to humans.
This web page describes lichen and their ability to survive severe conditions where other life can not:
LICHEN BIOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
THE SPECIAL BIOLOGY OF LICHENS
"Lichens grow in the leftover spots of the natural world that are too harsh or limited for most other organisms. They are pioneers on bare rock, desert sand, cleared soil , dead wood, animal bones, rusty metal, and living bark. Able to shut down metabolically during periods of unfavorable conditions, they can survive extremes of heat, cold, and drought."
http://www.lichen.com/biology.html
Perhaps the type of creatures you were referring to are the chemolithotrophs or chemolithoautotrophs, which do not require sunlight and can survive on inorganic chemicals alone (and water of course.) I don't know of chemolithotrophs dangerous to humans.
Bob Clark
Space/Science » in reply to Re: On Martian Microbe Hazards
Re: On Martian Microbe Hazards
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