Biomineralisationsprozesse, Biogeochemie und Biodiversität chemolithotropher Mikroorganismen im Tunnel von Äspö (Schweden)

• Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Liebl; Professor Dr. Joachim Reitner
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Mineralogie, Petrologie und Geochemie
• Förderung: Förderung von 2005 bis 2014
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 5471545

Microorganisms occurring at different depths in the Äspö Hard Rock laboratory (tunnel of Äspö) are studied as model systems for the biodiversity and structure of the deep continental biosphere, and the interaction of microbiological processes and mineral precipitation.Major aspects investigated are (1) the biodiversity of microbial systems including metagenomics, (2) metabolic pathways and biomineralization processes, including EPS-controlled selective cation binding and complex formation, (3) inorganic and organic biosignatures for biogeochemical processes involving deep biosphere microorganisms. The latter topic will emphasize miniaturized techniques for analysing small environmental samples (particularly GC/MS, ToF-SIMS, RAMAN-spectroscopy), and the establishment of biomarker proxies for a fossil deep biosphere.

• DFG-Verfahren: Forschungsgruppen
• Teilprojekt zu: FOR 571: Geobiologie von Organo- und Biofilmen: Koppelung der Geosphäre und Biosphäre über mikrobielle Prozesse
• Beteiligte Personen: Professor Dr. Bent Tauber Hansen (†); Dr. Klaus Simon; Professor Dr. Volker Thiel