Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Biological Validation and Agnostic Experiments for Extant and Extinct Microbial Life within the Martian Subsurface.

Astrobiology·2026
Same author

Exploring life's hidden majority: microbial dark matter symposium highlights.

mSphere·2026
Same author

Life Detection in the Martian Subsurface: Advancements in Microbial Metabolic Research under Mars Laboratory and Field-Analog Conditions since Viking.

Astrobiology·2026
Same author

Electrogenic CH4 oxidation on a bioanode: putative extracellular electron transport system in Methylobacter sp.

FEMS microbiology ecology·2026
Same author

<i>Desulfatiglans-</i>related bacteria associated with conductive mineral particles in marine subsurface sediments.

mBio·2026
Same author

Adaptive laboratory evolution increased biofilm formation by <i>Sporomusa ovata</i> through a mutation in <i>galU</i>.

Biofilm·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
10:43

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology

Published on: November 5, 2014

26.4K

Thriving or surviving? Evaluating active microbial guilds in Baltic Sea sediment.

Laura A Zinke1,2, Megan M Mullis2, Jordan T Bird3

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Environmental Microbiology Reports
|August 25, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Deep Baltic Sea sediments host thriving microbial communities, not just surviving ones. RNA sequencing revealed active metabolism, cell division, and diverse microbial functions in this unique environment.

More Related Videos

Determination of Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity in Waters, Soils, and Sediments using High Throughput Microplate Assays
15:23

Determination of Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity in Waters, Soils, and Sediments using High Throughput Microplate Assays

Published on: October 1, 2013

40.5K
Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation
09:49

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Published on: October 31, 2019

23.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
10:43

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology

Published on: November 5, 2014

26.4K
Determination of Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity in Waters, Soils, and Sediments using High Throughput Microplate Assays
15:23

Determination of Microbial Extracellular Enzyme Activity in Waters, Soils, and Sediments using High Throughput Microplate Assays

Published on: October 1, 2013

40.5K
Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation
09:49

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Published on: October 31, 2019

23.3K

Area of Science:

  • * Deep subsurface microbiology
  • * Marine sediment biogeochemistry
  • * Microbial ecology

Background:

  • * The deep subsurface biosphere's microbial activity is debated, with questions about whether organisms are thriving or merely surviving.
  • * Nutrient-replete, anoxic sediments offer a unique system to study microbial life distinct from oligotrophic environments.
  • * Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 347 focused on the Baltic Sea Paleoenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the metabolic activity and cellular processes of microbial communities in deep Baltic Sea Basin sediments.
  • * To determine if microbes in this environment are thriving (actively metabolizing and dividing) or just surviving.
  • * To characterize the dominant active microbial phyla and their metabolic functions.

Main Methods:

  • * RNA extraction and sequencing from organic carbon-rich, anoxic sediment samples.
  • * Targeted sequencing of 16S rRNA transcripts to identify active microbial populations.
  • * Metatranscriptomic analysis to identify active metabolic pathways and cellular processes.

Main Results:

  • * Atribacteria and Chloroflexi were identified as dominant and active microbial phyla.
  • * Active metabolisms included methane cycling, sulfur cycling, and halogenated compound utilization.
  • * Transcription of genes related to cellular maintenance, division, motility, and antimicrobial production was observed.

Conclusions:

  • * Microbial life in the deep subsurface Baltic Sea Basin sediments is actively thriving.
  • * The findings challenge the notion of mere survival for deep subsurface microbes in nutrient-rich conditions.
  • * This study provides evidence for complex microbial ecosystems in deep marine sediments.