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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography

Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography

Published on: October 21, 2018

Characterizing the Deep Terrestrial Subsurface Microbiome.

Rebecca A Daly¹, Kelly C Wrighton², Michael J Wilkins²

¹Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. daly.130@osu.edu.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|October 10, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study details best practices for analyzing subsurface microbial life using metagenomics. Protocols cover contamination control, nucleic acid extraction, and library preparation for low-biomass shale samples.

Keywords:

Contamination Deep biosphere Deep life Low biomass Metagenomics Shale Terrestrial subsurface

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Last Updated: Feb 4, 2026

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Area of Science:

* Subsurface microbiology
* Metagenomics
* Molecular biology

Background:

* Earth's subsurface harbors significant biomass, with microbial life increasingly recognized.
* Metagenomics enables the study of microbial communities, even from challenging low-biomass samples.
* Deep shale formations (>2.5 km) represent an underexplored frontier for microbial life.

Purpose of the Study:

* To establish robust protocols for metagenomic analysis of deep subsurface microbial communities.
* To address challenges associated with low-biomass and potentially contaminated samples.
* To facilitate the study of indigenous microbial life in deep shale ecosystems.

Main Methods:

* Development of stringent contamination control measures.
* Optimized protocols for handling and processing deep core materials.
* Refined nucleic acid extraction techniques for low-yield samples.
* Adaptation of low-input library preparation methods for metagenomic sequencing.

Main Results:

* Validated protocols for effective contamination mitigation in deep subsurface samples.
* Demonstrated successful nucleic acid recovery and library preparation from low-biomass shale.
* Provided a comprehensive workflow for metagenomic analysis of deep biosphere samples.

Conclusions:

* The presented protocols enable reliable metagenomic analysis of microbial communities in deep shale.
* These methods advance our understanding of subsurface microbial ecosystems.
* This work supports further exploration of Earth's deep biosphere through metagenomics.