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Microbial community biofabrics in a geothermal mine adit
John R Spear1, Hazel A Barton, Charles E Robertson
1Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|August 19, 2007
Summary
Microorganisms form unique, mat-like biofabrics in novel geothermal speleothems. These findings reveal the complex roles microbes play in mineral formation within karst environments.
Area of Science:
- Geomicrobiology
- Mineralogy
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Speleothems are typically viewed as purely mineralogical formations.
- Microbial involvement in speleothem development is increasingly recognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize novel speleothems from a geothermal mine adit.
- To investigate the biological and mineralogical composition of these unique structures.
Main Methods:
- Light and electron microscopy for structural analysis.
- Small-subunit rRNA gene sequencing for microbial community profiling.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for gene detection (amoA).
Main Results:
- Discovery of two new speleothem types: hollow soda straw stalactites and floating dumpling-like rafts.
- Stalactites composed of mineralized biofabrics with gypsum and sulfur, hosting Thermus spp., crenarchaeotes, Chloroflexi, and Gammaproteobacteria.
- Floating rafts exhibited a mat-like microbial fabric with a gypsum-based internal composition.
Conclusions:
- These novel biofabrics demonstrate complex microbial roles in karst mineralization, weathering, and deposition.
- Geothermal environments host unique microbial communities influencing mineral formation.
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