@article{36e9400f1c484785a6afebcd281a47f7,
title = "Mineral-hosted biofilm communities in the continental deep subsurface, Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD, USA",
abstract = "Deep subsurface biofilms are estimated to host the majority of prokaryotic life on Earth, yet fundamental aspects of their ecology remain unknown. An inherent difficulty in studying subsurface biofilms is that of sample acquisition. While samples from marine and terrestrial deep subsurface fluids have revealed abundant and diverse microbial life, limited work has described the corresponding biofilms on rock fracture and pore space surfaces. The recently established Deep Mine Microbial Observatory (DeMMO) is a long-term monitoring network at which we can explore the ecological role of biofilms in fluid-filled fractures to depths of 1.5 km. We carried out in situ cultivation experiments with single minerals representative of DeMMO host rock to explore the ecological drivers of biodiversity and biomass in biofilm communities in the continental subsurface. Coupling cell densities to thermodynamic models of putative metabolic reactions with minerals suggests a metabolic relationship between biofilms and the minerals they colonize. Our findings indicate that minerals can significantly enhance biofilm cell densities and promote selective colonization by taxa putatively capable of extracellular electron transfer. In turn, minerals can drive significant differences in biodiversity between fluid and biofilm communities. Given our findings at DeMMO, we suggest that host rock mineralogy is an important ecological driver in deep continental biospheres.",
keywords = "DeMMO, biodiversity, biofilm, biomass, continental subsurface, extracellular electron transfer",
author = "Casar, {Caitlin P.} and Kruger, {Brittany R.} and Flynn, {Theodore M.} and Masterson, {Andrew L.} and Momper, {Lily M.} and Osburn, {Magdalena R.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was funded by NASA with a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program—“Grant 80NSSC18K1267” to CPC and Exobiology Grant “NNH14ZDA001N” to MRO. We thank undergraduates Bethany Ketchem and Annamarie Jedziniak at Northwestern University for assisting with field work preparation and cell counts. We also thank Dr. Annette Rowe, Karla Abuyen, Dr. Haley Sapers, and the Sanford Underground Research Facility staff for assistance in the field. This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University's NUANCE Center, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS‐1542205); the MRSEC program (NSF DMR‐1720139) at the Materials Research Center; the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); the Keck Foundation; and the State of Illinois, through the IIN. MRO is a CIFAR fellow in the Earth 4D Program. The authors state no conflict of interest. Funding Information: This work was funded by NASA with a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program??Grant 80NSSC18K1267? to CPC and Exobiology Grant ?NNH14ZDA001N? to MRO. We thank undergraduates Bethany Ketchem and Annamarie Jedziniak at Northwestern University for assisting with field work preparation and cell counts. We also thank Dr. Annette Rowe, Karla Abuyen, Dr. Haley Sapers, and the Sanford Underground Research Facility staff for assistance in the field. This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University's NUANCE Center, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205); the MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center; the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); the Keck Foundation; and the State of Illinois, through the IIN. MRO is a CIFAR fellow in the Earth 4D Program. The authors state no conflict of interest. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd",
year = "2020",
month = jul,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1111/gbi.12391",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "18",
pages = "508--522",
journal = "Geobiology",
issn = "1472-4677",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "4",
}
