A5078126745- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Astro and Planetary Science
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Building materials and conservation
- Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Space Exploration and Technology
- Legionella and Acanthamoeba research
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2014-2022
The Yilgarn Craton in Australia has a large number of naturally occurring shallow ephemeral lakes underlain by dendritic system paleodrainage channels. Processes like evaporation, flooding, erosion, as well inflow saline, often acidic and ion-rich groundwater contribute to the (dynamic) nature composition sediments. region previously been described an analogue environment for early Mars due its geological geophysical similarities. Here, we investigated sediment samples four lake environments...
The detection of biomarkers plays a central role in our effort to establish whether there is, or was, life beyond Earth. In this review, we address the importance considering mineralogy relation selection locations and biomarker methodologies with characteristics most promising for exploration. We review relevant mineral-biomarker mineral-microbe interactions. local on particular planet reflects its past current environmental conditions allows habitability assessment by comparison under...
The detection of biosignatures on Mars is outstanding interest in the current field astrobiology and drives various fields research, ranging from new sample collection strategies to development more sensitive techniques. Detailed analysis organic content analog materials collected extreme environments Earth improves understanding biosignature preservation under conditions similar those Mars. In this article, we examined biological fingerprint several locations Atacama Desert (Chile), which...
Sulfur Cave (Puturosu Mountain, Romania) is an extreme environment, unique for displaying life in a gas chemocline. The lower part of the cave filled with CO2, CH4, and H2S mofettic origin, while upper contains air that floats above heavier volcanic gasses. S° H2SO4 (from sulfur-oxidation) cover wall at below CO2-H2S:O2 gas/gas interface. On wall, near interface pH < 1 unusual microbial biofilms occur on rock's surface. We provide context information geology, mineralogy, chemistry biology to...
Abstract Thiovulum spp. (Campylobacterota) are large sulfur bacteria that form veil-like structures in aquatic environments. The sulfidic Movile Cave (Romania), sealed from the atmosphere for ~5 million years, has several aqueous chambers, some with low atmospheric O2 (~7%). cave’s surface-water microbial community is dominated by we identified as Thiovulum. We show this strain, and others subsurface environments, phylogenetically distinct marine assembled a closed genome of strain confirmed...
Movile Cave, situated in Romania close to the Black Sea, constitutes a distinct and challenging environment for life. Its partially submerged ecosystem depends on chemolithotrophic processes its energetics, which are fed by continuous hypogenic inflow of mesothermal waters rich reduced chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide methane. We sampled variety cave sublocations over course three years. Furthermore, microcosm experiment, minerals were incubated one year. Both endemic samples extracts from...
The signatures of element isotope fractionation can be used for the indirect identification extant or extinct life on planetary surfaces their moons. Element are very robust against harsh environmental conditions, such as temperature irradiation, which typically prevail solar system bodies. Sulphur is a key we know it and bacteria exist, sulphur reducing bacteria, that metabolize resulting in fractionations up to −70‰ δ 34 S. Geochemical processes observed fractionate values −20‰ S hence,...
Abstract The Orgueil meteorite has become one of the most well‐studied carbonaceous meteorites, after it fell in France 150 yr ago. Extraterrestrial organic compounds such as amino acids and nucleobases parts per billion ranges were identified samples with supporting isotopic analyses. However, speculations terrestrial contamination inclusions form microbes seeds accompanied analyses ever since its fall. By using molecular analysis, we performed DNA extractions spiking experiments combined...
ABSTRACT Life in Movile Cave (Romania) relies entirely on carbon fixation by bacteria. The microbial community the surface water of Cave’s hypoxic air bells is dominated large spherical-ovoid bacteria we identified as Thiovulum sp. ( Campylobacterota ). These form a separate phylogenetic cluster within Thiovulaceae , consisting mostly freshwater cave We compared closed genome this to that marine strain ES, and assembled from public data sulfidic Frasassi caves. were very similar, differing...
&lt;p&gt;In situ identification of life signatures on Solar System bodies other than Earth is extremely challenging and demands for sophisticated sensitive instrumentation their detection. Life can be grouped into six different categories, ranging from biomolecules (e.g., lipids amino acids), to microstructures (such as microfossils) [1]. Sulphur fractionated element isotopes belong another important category are high interest current astrobiology. In this contribution, we report a...
Life in Movile Cave (Romania) relies entirely on carbon fixation by bacteria oxidizing sulfide, methane and ammonia, using oxygen, nitrate, sulfate, ferric iron as electron acceptors. There, our attention was drawn a white veil-like structure at the water surface. Microscopic analysis of veil revealed dense population microorganisms various shapes sizes, some which being much larger than other spirilla, rods cocci that could be observed. We studied these with optical microscopy techniques,...