Detection of low levels of organic compounds associated with microbially influenced minerals
EMSL Project ID
47545
Abstract
One of the challenges facing subsurface science is detection of paired information about microbial communities and associated minerals. One way to map microbial communities is through detection of biosignatures. Biosignatures incorporated into or onto minerals provides evidence for the types of microbes present in the subsurface environment if those products can be tied to microbial processes using metabolomics. This information leads to a better understanding of microbial communities present in different ecosystems, including subsurface environments (caves, sedimentary rocks, and basalt interbeds and fractures), saline-alkaline lakes, and acidic springs and seeps, both natural and anthropogenic. Knowledge of community structure and membership promotes better use of existing microbial communities for remediation purposes or understanding of consequences of human influences on subsurface chemistry, such as through carbon sequestration. Specifically, this research addresses Geochemistry/Biogeochemistry and Subsurface Science theme: “Defining the interplay between geochemistry and the structure and activities of microbial communities: There is a need to understand how microbial community structures vary in space and time and how such changes relate to changes in geochemical conditions and microbial interactions with earth materials and environmental contaminants, including radionuclides.” This proposed work seeks to build on prior cutting-edge research into chemical imaging of secondary minerals to determine microbial associations. Results from this research will be used to test the efficacy of results obtained with other methods. Mineral-organic compound pairs, laboratory-cultured mineral-microbe pairs, and natural secondary minerals will be analyzed with nano-DESI-Orbitrap-MS and SIMS-FTICR-MS to determine fingerprints for microbial associations. These results can be used to document subsurface microbial populations in association with secondary minerals found in basalts and unconsolidated sediments. Secondary minerals in basalts and unconsolidated sediments can sequester undesirable contaminants or desirable carbon dioxide. Identifying the microbial community in such environments allows better use of their capabilities to enhance storage or promote remediation. The University of Montana does not have the capabilities offered by these state-of-the-art instruments. Further, these instruments at EMSL have mapping capabilities, a feature critical for determining which minerals are associated with which microbes in natural samples. This coupled with the expertise of EMSL staff make access to EMSL facility necessary for the success of this project.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2012-10-01
End Date
2014-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members