Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries
Water present on the surface of early Mars (>3.0 Ga) may have been habitable. Characterising analogue environments and investigating the aspects of their microbiome best suited for growth under simulated martian chemical conditions is key to understanding potential habitability. Experiments were...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040523 https://doaj.org/article/a5c84b0e251842ff86a6706b39405b9a |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a5c84b0e251842ff86a6706b39405b9a 2024-01-07T09:41:45+01:00 Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries James A. W. Oliver Matthew Kelbrick Nisha K. Ramkissoon Amy Dugdale Ben P. Stephens Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens Mark G. Fox-Powell Susanne P. Schwenzer André Antunes Michael C. Macey 2022-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040523 https://doaj.org/article/a5c84b0e251842ff86a6706b39405b9a EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/4/523 https://doaj.org/toc/2075-1729 doi:10.3390/life12040523 2075-1729 https://doaj.org/article/a5c84b0e251842ff86a6706b39405b9a Life, Vol 12, Iss 4, p 523 (2022) simulation analogue sulfur enrichment Science Q article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040523 2023-12-10T01:45:06Z Water present on the surface of early Mars (>3.0 Ga) may have been habitable. Characterising analogue environments and investigating the aspects of their microbiome best suited for growth under simulated martian chemical conditions is key to understanding potential habitability. Experiments were conducted to investigate the viability of microbes from a Mars analogue environment, Colour Peak Springs (Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic), under simulated martian chemistries. The fluid was designed to emulate waters thought to be typical of the late Noachian, in combination with regolith simulant material based on two distinct martian geologies. These experiments were performed with a microbial community from Colour Peak Springs sediment. The impact on the microbes was assessed by cell counting and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Changes in fluid chemistries were tested using ICP-OES. Both chemistries were shown to be habitable, with growth in both chemistries. Microbial communities exhibited distinct growth dynamics and taxonomic composition, comprised of sulfur-cycling bacteria, represented by either sulfate-reducing or sulfur-oxidising bacteria, and additional heterotrophic halophiles. Our data support the identification of Colour Peak Springs as an analogue for former martian environments, with a specific subsection of the biota able to survive under more accurate proxies for martian chemistries. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Axel Heiberg Island ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) Colour Peak ENVELOPE(-91.284,-91.284,79.469,79.469) Heiberg ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) Life 12 4 523 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
simulation analogue sulfur enrichment Science Q |
spellingShingle |
simulation analogue sulfur enrichment Science Q James A. W. Oliver Matthew Kelbrick Nisha K. Ramkissoon Amy Dugdale Ben P. Stephens Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens Mark G. Fox-Powell Susanne P. Schwenzer André Antunes Michael C. Macey Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries |
topic_facet |
simulation analogue sulfur enrichment Science Q |
description |
Water present on the surface of early Mars (>3.0 Ga) may have been habitable. Characterising analogue environments and investigating the aspects of their microbiome best suited for growth under simulated martian chemical conditions is key to understanding potential habitability. Experiments were conducted to investigate the viability of microbes from a Mars analogue environment, Colour Peak Springs (Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic), under simulated martian chemistries. The fluid was designed to emulate waters thought to be typical of the late Noachian, in combination with regolith simulant material based on two distinct martian geologies. These experiments were performed with a microbial community from Colour Peak Springs sediment. The impact on the microbes was assessed by cell counting and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Changes in fluid chemistries were tested using ICP-OES. Both chemistries were shown to be habitable, with growth in both chemistries. Microbial communities exhibited distinct growth dynamics and taxonomic composition, comprised of sulfur-cycling bacteria, represented by either sulfate-reducing or sulfur-oxidising bacteria, and additional heterotrophic halophiles. Our data support the identification of Colour Peak Springs as an analogue for former martian environments, with a specific subsection of the biota able to survive under more accurate proxies for martian chemistries. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
James A. W. Oliver Matthew Kelbrick Nisha K. Ramkissoon Amy Dugdale Ben P. Stephens Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens Mark G. Fox-Powell Susanne P. Schwenzer André Antunes Michael C. Macey |
author_facet |
James A. W. Oliver Matthew Kelbrick Nisha K. Ramkissoon Amy Dugdale Ben P. Stephens Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens Mark G. Fox-Powell Susanne P. Schwenzer André Antunes Michael C. Macey |
author_sort |
James A. W. Oliver |
title |
Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries |
title_short |
Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries |
title_full |
Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries |
title_fullStr |
Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sulfur Cycling as a Viable Metabolism under Simulated Noachian/Hesperian Chemistries |
title_sort |
sulfur cycling as a viable metabolism under simulated noachian/hesperian chemistries |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040523 https://doaj.org/article/a5c84b0e251842ff86a6706b39405b9a |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) ENVELOPE(-91.284,-91.284,79.469,79.469) ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) |
geographic |
Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Colour Peak Heiberg |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Colour Peak Heiberg |
genre |
Arctic Axel Heiberg Island |
genre_facet |
Arctic Axel Heiberg Island |
op_source |
Life, Vol 12, Iss 4, p 523 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/4/523 https://doaj.org/toc/2075-1729 doi:10.3390/life12040523 2075-1729 https://doaj.org/article/a5c84b0e251842ff86a6706b39405b9a |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040523 |
container_title |
Life |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
523 |
_version_ |
1787422546601181184 |