Desulfitibacteraceae bacterium MK1 Genome sequencing
The deep terrestrial subsurface is a vastly understudied biome that is suggested to be the home of 12-20 percent of the biomass on Earth. Within this biosphere, the Soudan Underground Mine (Soudan, Minnesota, USA) provides access to deep subsurface boreholes 713 m below the surface that transect 2.7 billion year old banded iron formations. From these boreholes, calcium-dominated brine water samples pumped from up to 55 m down Diamond Drill Hole (DDH) 951 were used to isolate a unique gram-positive Fe(III)-reducing bacterium. A combination of short and long read sequencing produced a closed circular genome of the novel genus and species named Metallumcola ferriviriculae strain MK1 within the Desulfitibacteraceae family. This genome will give insight into gram-positive Fe(III)-reducing bacteria and deep subsurface microorganisms.