Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/D005647/1
Urgent use of the new HYACINTH high pressure microbiological equipment on IODP Leg 311
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor RJ Parkes, Cardiff University, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor AJ Weightman, Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr H Sass, Cardiff University, Sch of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor JC Fry, Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
- Grant held at:
- Cardiff University, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Global Change
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Biogeochemical Cycles
- Sediment/Sedimentary Processes
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- Recently, huge numbers of bacteria kilometres deep in the Earth have been discovered. These bacteria may represent over 50% of all life on Earth. But we know almost nothing about these bacteria as we can only grow a tiny fraction of them in the laboratory for study. Deep ocean sediments contain most of these 'deep biosphere' bacteria and here pressures are enormous over 300 times that at the surface. Up till now the only way to study them was by bringing samples to the surface and trying to study them at atmospheric pressure, which might kill the vast majority of them. We have developed a system which enables bacteria to be consistently grown and studied under high pressure. This can be used with a new pressure coring and handling system so that bacteria are never depressurised which should allow deep bacteria not previously seen to be studied. This project will provide funding to enable us to obtain pressurised samples from IODP Leg 311 so that we can subsequently investigate the bacteria we enrich to find out what type they are, how they survive in their extreme (high pressure, low energy and zero oxygen) environment and how they might influence processes in deep sediments and rocks which were previously thought to be geological environments devoid of life. These deep sediments can be tens of millions of years old and may contain ancient bacteria. They may even be an environment where life on Earth might have started. So understanding these bacteria will not only tell us about life on Earth it might also tell us more about how life began.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/D005647/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Directed Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- IODP
This grant award has a total value of £11,032
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Other Costs |
|---|---|
| £2,180 | £8,852 |
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