LExEn: Biological and Chemical Energetics of Deep Sea Subsurface -- Evolutionary and Exobiological Implications

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AdamsThis is a collaborative research project with Drs. Robert M. Kelly at North Carolina State University (Grant Number 9816492) and John A. Baross at the University of Washington (Grant Number 9816491). The overall objective of this project is to study the microbial populations released from within deep sea subsurface environments. This project has four components: 1) to characterize the biodiversity that exists in subseafloor environments and determine the nature of constituent microbial physiologies; 2) to determine the chemical bioenergetics of the subsurface, specifically the carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous species of microbial relevance that are prevalent in subsurface environments; 3) to determine the intracellular bioenergetics of model heterotrophic hyperthermophiles and those newly-isolated from the subsurface, including their primary energy currency and electron carriers, and their organic and inorganic "signatures"; and 4) to characterize known and newly-isolated hyperthermophiles from subsurface environments as to their extracellular bioenergetics. This includes electron donors and acceptors, inorganic nutrients, and the capacity of the bacteria to produce exocellular polymers, to inhabit biofilms, and to exist as consortia. The results of this project should serve as a paradigm for the characterization of extraterrestrial ecosystems and potential life forms therein.