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Environmental Sampling of Photosynthetic Microbes and Their Viruses: From Field to Lab

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Archeomicrobiology applied to environmental samples.

Pamela Afouda¹, Grégory Dubourg¹, Didier Raoult¹

¹Aix Marseille Université, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France; IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.

Microbial Pathogenesis

|March 17, 2020

Summary

Studying ancient microorganisms reveals microbial evolution, but DNA degradation poses challenges. Advances in techniques like next-generation sequencing (NGS) are improving the detection of these ancient microbes.

Keywords:

Amber Ancient bacteria evolution Ancient halite Ancient microbes Ancient microbiome Ancient rocks Paleomicrobiology Permafrost

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Evolutionary Biology
Geomicrobiology

Background:

Understanding microbial evolution is crucial for human and ecosystem studies.
Ancient microorganisms are challenging to study due to viability issues and DNA degradation.
Recent advancements have spurred growth in ancient microorganism research.

Purpose of the Study:

To review methods for studying ancient microorganisms.
To highlight the role of these methods in deciphering ancient microbial communities.
To focus on specific environments like permafrost, ancient halite, amber, and rocks.

Main Methods:

Microscopy techniques for visualizing ancient microbes.
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for genetic analysis.
Comparative analysis of microbial communities across different ancient samples.

Main Results:

Improved methods have increased the feasibility of studying ancient microorganisms.
NGS techniques significantly enhance the detection and analysis of degraded microbial DNA.
Specific environmental contexts (permafrost, halite, amber, rocks) harbor unique ancient microbial signatures.

Conclusions:

Advanced techniques are revolutionizing the study of ancient microbial life.
Deciphering ancient microbial communities provides insights into past ecosystems and evolution.
Further research on diverse ancient environments will enrich our understanding of microbial history.