|
RESEARCH PROJECTS: Geochemical Records of the Earth's Biosphere Photochemical Reactions of Sulfur and Iron in the Early Earth The Genomic Record of Earth's Early Biosphere Laboratory Microbial Simulations: Astrobiological Signatures |
SECTION IV: Laboratory Microbial Simulations: Astrobiological Signatures
In order to relate the biogeochemical signatures in Precambrian rocks to specific organisms and environments and to understand the response of organisms to their environment, we will investigate the biological, biochemical, isotopic, and genetic response of pure cultures and consortia of important microbes (e.g., methanogens, sulfate-reducers, and cyanobacteria) under simulated Precambrian environments. Special focus will be placed on the chemical and isotopic signatures of inorganic substrates, biogenic gases, and microbial lipids, and on the responses of anaerobes to oxygen and aerobes to methane and sulfide.
|
