title: Long-term sustainability of a high-energy, low-diversity crustal biome.
abstract: Geochemical, microbiological, and molecular analyses of alkaline saline groundwater at 2.8 kilometers depth in Archaean metabasalt revealed a microbial biome dominated by a single phylotype affiliated with thermophilic sulfate reducers belonging to Firmicutes. These sulfate reducers were sustained by geologically produced sulfate and hydrogen at concentrations sufficient to maintain activities for millions of years with no apparent reliance on photosynthetically derived substrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. lhlin@ntu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Li-Hung
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pei-Ling
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rumble
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lippmann-Pipke
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boice
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sherwood Lollar
authors.forename: Eoin L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.forename: Terry C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hazen
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Todd Z
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: DeSantis
authors.forename: Duane P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kershaw
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Onstott
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D044822:Biodiversity; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D006046:Gold; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008906:Mining; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013019:South Africa; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013995:Time; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013431:Sulfates; D006046:Gold; D006859:Hydrogen