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The Chemistry of Microbiomes Proceedings of a Seminar Series (2017) / Chapter Skim
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3 Life in High-Temperature Environments: Modern-Day Analogs of Early Earth Still Relevant Today - William P. Inskeep
Pages 13-20

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From page 13...
... It is now common to study details of numerous specific microbial populations in the same community or habitat using molecular methods which can provide details on community composition, the metabolism of specific community members, and the biochemical interactions occurring between organisms. High-temperature geothermal or hydrothermal systems are often defined by geochemical extremes across observable spatial scales, and can result in reduced biological complexity that is metabolically focused around a specific set of micro-environmental conditions.
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From page 14...
... NOTE: Geochemical, isotopic, and imaging technologies can be linked to a genomics platform where sequencing and assembly of appropriate reference populations provides tools necessary for adequate interpretation of activity-based measurements in transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolism. Deatiled community network modeling and feedback analysis can be based on informed -omic assignments coupled with an accurate model of in situ spatial and temporal realities obtained from site characterization and analysis.
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From page 15...
... Moreover, the diverse genetic capabilities found in different microorganisms are not only important for contributing to stability and resilience in natural microbiomes, but are also useful in genetic engineering and custom design. A fuller realization of the metabolic transformations and specific biochemical pathways employed by microorganisms will result in a greater ability to predict responses to environmental change in natural communities and improve application and use of microorganisms in industrial processes.
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From page 16...
... Geochemical differences are also coupled with hydrogeological properties and may be expressed within a microbial mat as spatial and/or temporal chemical gradients. It is possible to utilize the variation in attributes of geothermal springs to develop an understanding of metabolic attribute distributions as a function of key environmental variables (see Figure 3-3)
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From page 17...
... . This unique group of Fox proteins imparts functional attributes that explain the distribution of highly similar Metallosphaera populations in acidic ferric oxide mats throughout YNP (Kozubal et al., 2011, 2012)
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From page 18...
... Several new phyla of Archaea and Bacteria have been discovered in specific habitat types of YNP, and phylogenomic analyses reveal their importance as deeply rooted lineages in specific habitat types. For example, two new lineages of thermophilic Archaea have been described in thermoacidic ferric oxide microbial mats: Members of the Geoarchaeota and novel archaeal group 2 are dominant heterotrophs in slightly acidic iron mats (Kozbual et al., 2012, 2013; Beam et al., 2016)
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From page 19...
... 2016. Assembly and succession of iron oxide microbial mat communities in acidic geothermal springs.
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Key Terms

  • national park
  • microbial communities
  • specific habitat
  • microbial mat
  • environmental change

  • geothermal springs
  • deeply rooted
  • genome sequence
  • product synthesis
  • oxide microbial

  • specific community
  • specific biochemical
  • custom design
  • custom product
  • environmental microbiology

  • natural communities
  • acidic geothermal
  • metabolic attribute
  • ferric oxide
  • iron mats

  • inorganic carbon
  • acidic iron
  • functional attributes
  • habitat types
  • laboratory conditions

  • geyser basin
  • provides tools
  • pathways employed
  • norris geyser
  • specific microbial


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