Record Details
Olivine-Respiring Bacteria Isolated from the Rock-Ice Interface in a Lava-Tube Cave, a Mars Analogue Environment
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Olivine-Respiring Bacteria Isolated from the Rock-Ice Interface in a Lava-Tube Cave, a Mars Analogue Environment |
| Names |
Popa, Radu
(creator) Smith, Amy (creator) Popa, Rodica (creator) Boone, Jane (creator) Fisk, Martin R. (creator) |
| Date Issued | 2011 (iso8601) |
| Note | NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/s73CeD. |
| Abstract | The boundary between ice and basalt on Earth is an analog for some near-surface environments of Mars. We investigated neutrophilic iron-oxidizing microorganisms from the basalt-ice interface in a lava tube from the Oregon Cascades with perennial ice. One of the isolates (Pseudomonas sp. HerB) can use ferrous iron Fe(II) from the igneous mineral olivine as an electron donor and O₂ as an electron acceptor. The optimum growth temperature is ~12-14°C, but growth also occurs at 5°C. Bicarbonate is a facultative source of carbon. Growth of Pseudomonas sp. HerB as a chemolithotrophic iron oxidizer with olivine as the source of energy is favored in low O₂ conditions (e.g., 1.6 % O₂). Most likely, microbial oxidation of olivine near pH 7 requires low O₂ to offset the abiotic oxidation of iron. The metabolic capabilities of this bacterium would allow it to live in near-surface, icy, volcanic environments of Mars in the present or recent geological past, and make this type of physiology a prime candidate in the search for life on Mars. |
| Genre | Article |
| Topic | Extremophiles |
| Identifier | Popa, R., Smith, A., Rodica, P., Boone, J., & Fisk, M. (2011). Olivine-Respiring Bacteria Isolated from the Rock-Ice Interface in a Lava-Tube Cave, a Mars Analogue Environment. Astrobiology. |
