methanogens
GeomicrobiologyMolecular Evidence for an Active Microbial Methane Cycle in Subsurface Serpentinite-Hosted Groundwaters in the Samail Ophiolite, OmanSerpentinization of ultramafic rock can generate conditions favorable for microbial methane (CH4) cycling, including the abiotic production of hydrogen (H2) and possibly CH4. Systems of low-temperature serpentinization are geobiological targets due to their potential to harbor microbial life and ubiquity throughout Earth’s history. Biomass in fracture waters collected from the Samail Ophiolite of Oman, a...
MethodsA CRISPRi-dCas9 System for Archaea and Its Use To Examine Gene Function during Nitrogen Fixation by Methanosarcina acetivoransGenetic tools are needed to understand and manipulate the biology of archaea, which serve critical roles in the biosphere. Methanogenic archaea (methanogens) are essential for the biological production of methane, an intermediate in the global carbon cycle, an important greenhouse gas, and a biofuel. The CRISPRi-dCas9 system in the model methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans...
Microbial EcologyGenomic Evidence for Formate Metabolism by Chloroflexi as the Key to Unlocking Deep Carbon in Lost City Microbial EcosystemsPrimitive forms of life may have originated around hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ancient ocean. The Lost City hydrothermal vent field, fueled by just rock and water, provides an analog for not only primitive ecosystems but also potential extraterrestrial rock-powered ecosystems. The microscopic life covering the towering chimney structures at the Lost City has been previously documented, yet little is known about the carbon...
Environmental MicrobiologyHigh-Level Abundances of Methanobacteriales and Syntrophobacterales May Help To Prevent Corrosion of Metal Sheet PilesIron sheet piles are widely used to reinforce dikes and river banks. Damage due to iron corrosion poses a significant safety risk and has significant economic impact. Different groups of microorganisms are known to either stimulate or inhibit the corrosion process. Recently, natural corrosion-protective deposit layers were found on sheet piles. Analyses of the microbial composition indicated a potential role for methane-producing...
Environmental MicrobiologyMethanogens and Iron-Reducing Bacteria: the Overlooked Members of Mercury-Methylating Microbial Communities in Boreal LakesDespite the global awareness that mercury, and methylmercury in particular, is a neurotoxin to which millions of people continue to be exposed, there are sizable gaps in the understanding of the processes and organisms involved in methylmercury formation in aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, we shed light on the diversity of the microorganisms responsible for methylmercury formation in boreal lake sediments. All the...