Zambales and Palawan Ophiolite, Philippines Targeted loci environmental
This study aims to determine the diversity and distribution of serpentinization-associated microorganisms in the Philippines from previously undescribed or poorly represented environments. Fluid and sediment samples were collected for bacterial and archaeal DNA sequencing and analysis from the Zambales and Palawan Ophiolite units in southeast Asia to investigate microbial communities associated with serpentinization. Samples collected for DNA analysis are accompanied by fluid and gas geochemical data, including stable isotope and clumped methane isotopologue ratios. This investigation is one of the first in Palawan, and an expansion on previously successful sequencing campaigns in the Zambales Ophiolite Complex. PI Kristin Woycheese Massachusetts Institute of Technology