 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Examination of diverse anaerobic methane-oxidizing Archaea
and associated syntrophic relationships using high resolution
molecular and isotopic methods def: anaerobic – in the absence of
oxygen. (an anaerobe is an organism, such as a bacterium,
that can live in the absence of atmospheric oxygen)
def: methane – An odorless, colorless,
flammable gas. Why it is important?
Why do we study it? The occurrence and biological regulation of net methane oxidation under anoxic conditions in the marine environment has been recognized as a significant process, but the identity of the microorganisms mediating this process has, until recently, remained elusive. def: methane-oxidizing – getting energy from the oxidation
of methane def: oxidation - Any chemical
reaction in which a material gives up electrons. Burning
is an example of rapid oxidation; rusting is an example of slow oxidation.
def: Archaea – single-celled prokaryotes genetically distinct
from bacteria def: syntrophic – when two distinct species interact in a favorable way. def: high resolution molecular and isotopic methods Sample collection:
see photos of push cores
Geochemical characterization: Molecular Characterization: Visualization of gene expression using fluorescence in-situ hybridization microscopy. Goals of the Expedition To identify and characterize microbes responsible for methane production and consumption in coastal marine sediments. Task 1 – Characterization of microorganisms involved in the production, consumption and transfer of methane-derived carbon within marine methane seeps. Task 2 – Constraining thermodynamic models of the anaerobic oxidation of methane by identifying the spatial arrangement of active cells within natural aggregations
Goals | Summary | Microbes
and Methane | Where and Why |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
