Evidence for Endolithic Microbes in Oceanic Basalts

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

9618728 Fisk Substantial evidence supports the view that microorganisms can affect geochemical change in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and sediments. Little is known , however, about microbial influence on chemical change in the lithosphere. Recently, new evidence has indicated that the alteration of basalts may be affected by the presence of microbial life which influence the rate of alteration and the composition of products. The objective of this award is to test for microbes in basalts and to determine the distribution and identity of these communities. Initially basalts from existing collections will be screened for carbon, nucleic acids, and textures that have been reported as evidence of endolithic microorganisms. DNA or RNA will then be extracted to further identify the organisms present. ***