Collaborative Research: Determining the Limits to Life in Submarine Hydrothermal Systems: Active Sulfide Deposits as Natural Laboratories

该项目将推动开发一套现场传感器，旨在量化海底热液系统内环境参数和相关微生物群落的时空变化。该项目的最终目标是在现场条件下确定生命的温度上限，在这些条件下什么环境参数可以促进生长，以及存在什么联合体。该项目建立在Juan de Fuca Ridge的Mothra和Main Endeavour喷口区域内的三个原型硫化物微生物孵化器的成功现场测试基础上。要解决的问题包括：成熟的、散布通风的建筑物的墙壁内存在什么温度梯度？烟囱壁内流体的氢逸度和氧化状态是什么？在活跃的喷口中，自然微生物群落和具有代表性的嗜热菌的隔离培养的最高生长和生存温度是多少？在成熟的、扩散的硫化物结构中，极端嗜热菌的自然发生的系统发育和生理多样性是什么？

This project will advance the development of an in-situ sensor package designed to quantify the spatial and temporal variation of environmental parameters and associated microbial communities within submarine hydrothermal systems. The ultimate goals of this project are to determine under in-situ conditions the upper temperature limit of life, what environmental parameters may promote growth under these conditions and what consortia are present. This project builds on the successful field testing of three prototype sulfide microbial incubators within the Mothra and Main Endeavour vent fields on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Questions to be addressed include: What thermal gradients are present within the walls of mature, diffusely venting edifices? What is the hydrogen fugacity and oxidation state of fluids within the chimney walls? What is the maximum growth and survival temperature of natural microbial communities and of representative isolated cultures of hyperthermophiles within active vents? What is the naturally occurring phylogenetic and physiological diversity of hyperthermophiles in mature, diffusely venting sulfide structures?