Saccharopolyspora cebuensis sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from a Philippine sponge (Porifera)

The taxonomic status of a marine actinomycete isolated from the sponge Haliclona sp. collected from Cebu, Philippines, was established using both phenotypic and genotypic data. Strain SPE 10-1(T) exhibited chemotaxonomic and morphological characteristics that were consistent with those of members of the genus Saccharopolyspora. It showed a strict requirement for salt and is the first obligate marine bacterium of the genus Saccharopolyspora to be isolated. The principal isoprenoid quinone detected was MK-9(H(4)). The fatty acid pattern consisted mainly of terminally branched iso and anteiso fatty acids. The DNA G+C content was 72.6 mol%. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence supported affiliation of the strain with the genus Saccharopolyspora; the type strain of Saccharopolyspora gregorii was the closest phylogenetic relative (96 % sequence similarity). Sequence similarities of strain SPE 10-1(T) to other type strains of this genus were 93-95 %. It is proposed that strain SPE 10-1(T) should be classified in the genus Saccharopolyspora as a representative of Saccharopolyspora cebuensis sp. nov. The type strain of Saccharopolyspora cebuensis is SPE 10-1(T) (=DSM 45019(T)=CIP 109355(T))

Asymmetric Early Crust-Building Magmatism on the Lunar Nearside Due to KREEP-Induced Melting Point Depression

The lunar magnesian-suite, or Mg-suite, is a series of ancient plutonic rocks from the lunar crust with ages and compositions indicating that they represent crust-building magmatism occurring immediately after the end of magma ocean crystallization. Samples of the Mg-suite were found at every Apollo landing site except 11 and ubiquitously have geochemical characteristics indicating the involvement of KREEP in their petrogenesis. This observation has led to the suggestion that the presence of the KREEP reservoir under the lunar nearside was responsible for this episode of crust building. The lack of any readily identifiable Mg-suite rocks in meteoritic regolith breccias sourced from outside the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) seemingly supports this interpretation

Streptomyces axinellae sp. nov., isolated from the Mediterranean sponge Axinella polypoides (Porifera)

An actinomycete strain, isolated from the marine sponge Axinella polypoides collected from Banyuls-sur-Mer, France, was characterized using a polyphasic approach. Based on its chemotaxonomic and morphological characteristics, strain Pol001(T) belongs to the genus Streptomyces. The strain is characterized by ll-diaminopimelic acid in the cell wall, menaquinones MK-9(H(4), H(6), H(8)) and a DNA G+C content of 71.0 mol%. It forms a separate phyletic line based on phylogenetic analyses of the nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence. Strain Pol001(T) could be differentiated from other closely related Streptomyces species with validly published names by phenotypic and genotypic analysis. DNA-DNA hybridization between strain Pol001(T) and closely related reference strains further confirmed that strain Pol001(T) represents a novel taxon of the genus Streptomyces. Therefore, it is proposed that strain Pol001(T) represents a novel species in the genus Streptomyces, Streptomyces axinellae sp. nov.; the type strain is Pol001(T) (=DSM 41948(T) =CIP 109838(T))

The Role of KREEP in the Production of Mg-Suite Magmas and Its Influence on the Extent of Mg-Suite Magmatism in the Lunar Crust

The lunar magnesian-suite, or Mg-suite, is a series of ancient plutonic rocks from the lunar crust. They have received a considerable amount of attention from lunar scientists since their discovery for three primary reasons: 1) their ages and geochemistry indicate they represent pristine magmatic samples that crystallized very soon after the formation of the Moon; 2) their ages often overlap with ages of the ferroan anorthosite (FAN) crust; and 3) planetary-scale processes are needed in formation models to account for their unique geochemical features. Taken as a whole, the Mg-suite samples, as magmatic cumulate rocks, approximate a fractional crystallization sequence in the low-pressure forsterite-anorthite-silica system, and thus these samples are generally thought to be derived from layered mafic intrusions which crystallized very slowly from magmas that intruded the anorthositic crust. However, no direct linkages have been established between different Mg-suite samples based either on field relationships or geochemistry.The model for the origin of the Mg-suite, which best fits the limited available data, is one where Mg-suite magmas form from melting of a hybrid cumulate package consisting of deep mantle dunite, crustal anorthosite, and KREEP (potassium-rare earth elements-phosphorus) at the base of the crust under the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT). In this model, these three LMO (Lunar Magma Ocean) cumulate components are brought into close proximity by the cumulate overturn process. Deep mantle dunitic cumulates with an Mg number of approximately 90 rise to the base of the anorthositic crust due to their buoyancy relative to colder, more dense Fe- and Ti-rich cumulates. This hybridized source rock melts to form Mg-suite magmas, saturated in Mg-rich olivine and anorthitic plagioclase, that have a substantial KREEP component

Evidence for a Heterogeneous Distribution of Water in the Martian Interior

The abundance and distribution of H2O within the terrestrial planets, as well as its timing of delivery, is a topic of vital importance for understanding the chemical and physical evolution of planets and their potential for hosting habitable environments. Analysis of planetary materials from Mars, the Moon, and the eucrite parent body (i.e., asteroid 4Vesta) have confirmed the presence of H2O within their interiors. Moreover, H and N isotopic data from these planetary materials suggests H2O was delivered to the inner solar system very early from a common source, similar in composition to the carbonaceous chondrites. Despite the ubiquity of H2O in the inner Solar System, the only destination with any prospects for past or present habitable environments at this time, outside of the Earth, is Mars. Although the presence of H2O within the martian interior has been confirmed, very little is known regarding its abundance and distribution within the martian interior and how the martian water inventory has changed over time. By combining new analyses of martian apatites within a large number of martian meteorite types with previously published volatile data and recently determined mineral-melt partition coefficients for apatite, we report new insights into the abundance and distribution of volatiles in the martian crust and mantle. Using the subset of samples that did not exhibit crustal contamination, we determined that the enriched shergottite mantle source has 36-73 ppm H2O and the depleted shergottite mantle source has 14-23 ppm H2O. This result is consistent with other observed geochemical differences between enriched and depleted shergottites and supports the idea that there are at least two geochemically distinct reservoirs in the martian mantle. We also estimated the H2O content of the martian crust using the revised mantle H2O abundances and known crust-mantle distributions of incompatible lithophile elements. We determined that the bulk martian crust has approximately 1400 ppm H2O, which is likely distributed toward the martian surface. This crustal water abundance would equate to a global equivalent layer (GEL) of water at a depth of-229 m, which can account for at least some of the surface features on Mars attributed to flowing water and may be sufficient to support the past presence of a shallow sea on Mars' surface

Saucy Stories

SUNY BrockportJigsa

An experimental and petrologic investigation of the source regions of lunar magmatism in the context of the primordial differentiation of the Moon

The primordial differentiation of the Moon via a global magma ocean has become the paradigm under which all lunar data are interpreted. The success of this model in explaining multiple geochemical, petrologic, and isotopic characteristics lunar geology has led to magma oceans becoming the preferred model for the differentiation of Earth, Mars, Mercury, Vesta, and other large terrestrial bodies. The goal of this work is to combine petrologic analyses of lunar samples with high pressure, high temperature petrologic experiments to place new and detailed constraints the petrogenetic processes that operated during different stages of lunar magmatism, the processes that have acted upon these magmas to obscure their relationship to their mantle source regions, and how those source regions fit into the context of the lunar magma ocean model. This work focuses on two important phases of lunar magmatism: the ancient crust-building plutonic lithologies of the Mg-suite dating to ~4.3 Ga, and the most recent known mare basaltic magmas dating to ~3 Ga. These samples provide insight into the petrogenesis of magmas and interior thermal state when the Moon was a hot, juvenile planet, and also during the last gasps of magmatism from a cooling planet. Chapter 1, focusing on Mg-suite troctolite 76535, presents data on chromite symplectites, olivine-hosted melt inclusions, intercumulus mineral assemblages, and cumulus mineral chemistry to argue that the 76535 was altered by metasomatism by a migrating basaltic melt. This process could effectively raise radioisotope systems above their mineral-specific blocking temperatures and help explain some of the Mg-suite-FAN age overlap. Chapter 2 focuses on lunar meteorites NWA 4734, 032, and LAP 02205, which are 3 of the 5 youngest igneous samples from the Moon. Using geochemical and isotopic data combined with partial melting models, it is shown that these basalts do not have a link to the KREEP reservoir, and a model is presented for low-degree partial melting of late-stage LMO cumulates to generate Fe-rich partial melts. Chapter 3 presents datasets from NWA 032 that document one of the only occurrences of oscillatory zoning in lunar minerals. A model is presented that explains the zoning patterns in olivine and pyroxene by convection in a differentially cooling magma chamber. Constraints from mineral chemistry and isotopic compositions show that magma mixing was not a factor during this convection. Lastly, chapter 4 presents the results of high-pressure, high-temperature petrologic experiments on the compositions of the LAP 02205 group basalts, and NEA 003A, the latter of which is also one of the youngest basalts from the Moon. These results show that the LAP group basalts are likely the result of extreme olivine fractionation, whereas NEA 003A not only has the deepest known multiple saturation point amongst crystalline mare basalts, but also may be a near-primary melt. Possible parental melt compositions are calculated for these basalts, and models are presents for the petrogenesis of these basalts and discussed in the context of a cooling lunar mantle. These studies illustrate the importance of different LMO cumulate source regions in lunar magmatism at very different points in the thermal and magmatic evolution of the Moon

PRETREATMENT OPTIMIZATION FOR CERAMIC MICROFILTRATION WITH OZONATION AND COAGULATION FOR THE REUSE OF WASTEWATER EFFLUENT

Ceramic microfiltration (CMF) is a promising alternative to traditional polymeric microfiltration and its chemical resistance makes it particularly attractive for sustainable water reuse applications. This research investigated the ability of ozonation and coagulation as pretreatments to improve the performance of ceramic microfiltration using HHNK’s WWTP in Wervershoof, The Netherlands. With a CMF pilot plant design flow of 200 L/h, critical flux tests were completed using ozonation individually and with coagulation sequentially to evaluate the ceramic membrane filtration performance. Results showed that with an ozone residual before the ceramic membrane, the performance increased significantly compared to no pretreatment and without an ozone residual. 11 target pharmaceuticals were also sampled to monitor the removal using different ozone doses testing the requirements from Dutch Water Authority regulations. One limitation to using ozone is the formation of a suspect human carcinogen, bromate. Using a bench scale ozone testing device, different ratios of hydrogen peroxide to ozone dose were tested to observe the formation of bromate and how hydrogen peroxide mitigates it. Results showed that the ozone residual during the experiments was a helpful indication of the resulting bromate formation. The triple bottom line also needs to be taken into consideration when optimizing the pretreatment processes. Specifically, the financial aspect when applying the pretreatment methods at a full-scale facility with more energy and chemical costs