H2020Индивидуална стипендия2021–2023

NanoBioS · Nanoscale mineral-microbial interactions, associations, and biosignatures in gypsum stromatolites

„Хоризонт 2020“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“

Период: 2021-10-01 → 2023-09-30
Финансиране от ЕС: 196 708 €
Участници: 1
Схема: MSCA-IF

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Взаимодействието между микроорганизми и гипсови образувания в Етиопия разкрива как бактериите влияят върху цикъла на сярата. Това помага да се разпознават следи от живот в седиментите на Земята и Марс, както и в разширяващите се пустини.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.

Резултати накратко

Nanoscale mineral-microbial interactions, associations, and biosignatures in gypsum stromatolites

Gypsum microbialites and microbial-rich gypsum formations occur in drylands worldwide as a result of the interplay of diverse microorganisms with the geochemical parameters of the evaporitic setting in which they grow. Owing to ongoing climate change and desertification currently affecting over 45% of exposed land, such evaporitic ecosystems will dramatically expand. Yet, at present, they remain largely unexplored. In particular there is very little information about: i) which microorganisms are hosted in gypsum microbialites and if they include novel divergent microbial lineages, ii) what is the exact role of microorganisms in sulfur cycling in evaporitic systems, iii) which microbial traces and mineral-microbial associations can be preserved in fossil gypsum stromatolites, and how to differentiate them from inorganic biomorphs. NanoBioS aimed to address these questions by employing a multidisciplinary approach making use of advanced microbiology and mineralogy tools, to study the gypsum microbialites from the newly explored salt-lakes of the drylands of Ethiopia. The overarching goal of this project was to shed light on biogeochemical sulfur cycling in extreme evaporitic ecosystems as well as, to develop insights for distinguishing traces of microbial-mineral interactions and other biosignatures on Earth and Martian chemical sediments.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз

Цел на проекта

Gypsum-based stromatolites (GS) make excellent paradigms for the investigation of fine-scale mineral-microbial interactions and for the detection of life remnants on gypsiferous deposits of Earth and Mars. Yet, they have been largely overlooked compared to the carbonate microbialites. To date we do not know: i) what is their exact mineralogy, ii) which microbial communities are associated to these structures, iii) what is the exact role of microbes and related bioproducts (e.g., exopolymeric substances) in mineral precipitation and stromatolite construction, and iv) which biosignatures may be preserved in GS. NanoBioS aims to address this knowledge gap by employing an interdisciplinary approach to study newly discovered gypsum-based stromatolites from Lake Bakili (Danakil Depression, Ethiopia) from a combined microbiology and mineralogy perspective. The Danakil Depression and the difficult-to-access and so-far unexplored Lake Bakili constitute a unique, natural laboratory for the study of both living and fossil gypsum microbialites, and a terrestrial Martian analogue-site. Besides the possibility to discover novel microbial lineages/metabolisms, we will attempt to identify characteristic associations of microbial groups with mineral assemblages and look for biosignatures. The overarching goal of NanoBioS is to gain a deeper understanding of the microbial influence on Ca-sulfate precipitation, as well as, to develop insights for distinguishing fossil life remnants from inorganic biomorphs on Earth and Martian chemical sediments.The host and secondment host laboratories that have advanced the subject of geomicrobiology of microbialites, will offer me intensive training in cutting-edge molecular biology and mineralogic tools, complementary to my so far geochemical expertise, aside to other, transferable skills. Overall, the development of NanoBioS will be career-defining and it will transform me in an independent, highly competitive, early stage bio-geo-chemist.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

UNIVERSITE PARIS-SACLAY · Gif-Sur-YvetteКоординаторФранция