Preventing mechanism of hydrogen sulphide emission from sediment to water by nitrate-accumulating sulphur oxidizing bacteria

研究了东京湾硝酸盐积累硫氧化细菌（Beggiatoa）阻止沉积物向水中排放硫化氢（H2S）的机制，发现除了与铁氧化物（FeOOH）的化学反应和Beggiatoa与硝酸盐（NO_3^-）的生物反应外，与氧气（O_2）的生物电化学反应也发挥着重要作用。自然界中遥远的化学和生物过程之间的电通信为我们对微生物地球化学和微生物生态学的理解增添了一个全新的维度。

Preventing mechanism of hydrogen sulphide (H_2S) emission from sediment to water by nitrate-accumulating sulphur oxidizing bacteria (Beggiatoa) was investigated in Tokyo Bay, and it was discovered that bioelectrochemical reactions with oxygen (O_2) are playing important role in addition to chemical reactions with iron oxides (FeOOH) and biological reactions with nitrate (NO_3^-) by Beggiatoa. Electric communication between distant chemical and biological processes in nature adds an entirely new dimension to our understanding of biogeochemistry and microbial ecology.