深海热液区是地球水圈、生物圈与深部岩石圈交互作用极为活跃的典型极端生境，本项目采用现代矿物学与环境微生物学交叉学科研究手段，围绕深海热液生境中金属硫化物半导体矿物协同某些嗜热/嗜温微生物发生热电子—价电子传递的分子机制及其驱动碳、硫元素转化的环境效应这一关键科学问题，重点开展热液区硫化物矿物半导体矿物学与热电输运特性研究、嗜热/嗜温微生物响应热电子的生物热电化学特征研究、矿物热电子协同微生物胞外电子传递驱动碳、硫元素循环的分子机制研究、深海热液生境矿物—微生物作用驱动热电子—价电子能量传递与转化的理论模型与环境效应研究，旨在查明深海热液生境中金属硫化物矿物半导体热电特性与热电子能量产生与转化机制，揭示典型深海热液系统中地热—硫化物矿物堆积体—嗜热、嗜温微生物—碳硫元素等多元耦合反应体系的作用机制与环境效应，为认识与理解深海热液生境中微生物能量代谢与碳硫元素循环的新途径提供科学依据。

The deep-sea hydrothermal environment is a typical extreme habitat where the interaction among the Earth's hydrosphere, the biosphere and the deep lithosphere is extremely active. Utilizing interdisciplinary research methods involving modern mineralogy and environmental microbiology, the key scientific issue of this project is focused on the molecular mechanisms of thermoelectron-to-valence electron transfer under the synergism of metal sulfide minerals and some thermophilic/mesophilic microorganisms, as well as environmental effects driving the element cycling of carbon and sulfur. The emphasis of the research will include: the mineralogy and thermoelectric transport properties of the semiconducting sulfide minerals in hydrothermal environments; the biothermoelectrochemistry characteristics of thermophilic/mesophilic microorganisms responding to thermoelectrons; the synergetic molecular mechanism of mineral thermoelectrons and microbial extracellular electron transfer driving carbon and sulfur element cycling; the theoretical model and environmental effects of mineral-microbial interactions in deep-sea hydrothermal habitats driving the energy transfer and conversion from thermoelectron to valent electron. This project is aimed to demonstrate thermoelectric properties of metal sulfide minerals in deep-sea hydrothermal habitats and their thermoelectron production and conversion mechanisms. Further, it will be revealed about the multi-element synergistic mechanisms among geothermy – sulfide mineral deposits – thermophilic/mesophilic microorganism – carbon and sulfur elements in typical deep-sea hydrothermal systems, as well as their environmental effects. This work will give scientific insights into the new approaches of microbial energy metabolism and carbon-sulfur element cycling in deep-sea hydrothermal habitats.