Prebiotic chemistry in neutral/reduced-alkaline gas-liquid interfaces.

Acknowledgements The authors used the research facilities of the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) and were supported by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial “Esteban Terradas” (INTA) and by the Spanish MINECO project ESP2014-55811-C2-2-P. M.R.M.-Y. was supported by a research training grant from INTA. C.M. and P.E. were fellows of “Plan de Formación” from INTA. M.-P.Z. and E.G.-T. acknowledge the Spanish MINECO projects CGL2014-55230-R and CGL2015-69758-P. Additionally, we are grateful to M.T. Fernández for the recording of the FT-IR spectra.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Copahue geothermal system: a volcanic environment with rich extreme Prokaryotic biodiversity

The Copahue geothermal system is a natural extreme environment located at the northern end of the Cordillera de los Andes in Neuquén province in Argentina. The geochemistry and consequently the biodiversity of the area are dominated by the activity of the Copahue volcano. The main characteristic of Copahue is the extreme acidity of its aquatic environments; ponds and hot springs of moderate and high temperature as well as Río Agrio. In spite of being an apparently hostile location, the prokaryotic biodiversity detected by molecular ecology techniques as well as cultivation shows a rich and diverse environment dominated by acidophilic, sulphur oxidising bacteria or archaea, depending on the conditions of the particular niche studied. In microbial biofilms, found in the borders of the ponds where thermal activity is less intense, the species found are completely different, with a high presence of cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic species. Our results, collected during more than 10 years of work in Copahue, have enabled us to outline geomicrobiological models for the different environments found in the ponds and Río Agrio. Besides, Copahue seems to be the habitat of novel, not yet characterised autochthonous species, especially in the domain Archaea.Fil: Urbieta, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Willis Poratti, Graciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Segretin, Ana Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Toril, Elena. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; EspañaFil: Giaveno, María Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo En Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energias Alternativas. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo En Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energias Alternativas; ArgentinaFil: Donati, Edgardo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentin

Copahue geothermal system: a volcanic environment with rich extreme Prokaryotic biodiversity

The Copahue geothermal system is a natural extreme environment located at the northern end of the Cordillera de los Andes in Neuquén province in Argentina. The geochemistry and consequently the biodiversity of the area are dominated by the activity of the Copahue volcano. The main characteristic of Copahue is the extreme acidity of its aquatic environments; ponds and hot springs of moderate and high temperature as well as Río Agrio. In spite of being an apparently hostile location, the prokaryotic biodiversity detected by molecular ecology techniques as well as cultivation shows a rich and diverse environment dominated by acidophilic, sulphur oxidising bacteria or archaea, depending on the conditions of the particular niche studied. In microbial biofilms, found in the borders of the ponds where thermal activity is less intense, the species found are completely different, with a high presence of cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic species. Our results, collected during more than 10 years of work in Copahue, have enabled us to outline geomicrobiological models for the different environments found in the ponds and Río Agrio. Besides, Copahue seems to be the habitat of novel, not yet characterised autochthonous species, especially in the domain Archaea.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

Novel and Unexpected Microbial Diversity in Acid Mine Drainage in Svalbard (78° N), Revealed by Culture-Independent Approaches

Svalbard, situated in the high Arctic, is an important past and present coal mining area. Dozens of abandoned waste rock piles can be found in the proximity of Longyearbyen. This environment offers a unique opportunity for studying the biological control over the weathering of sulphide rocks at low temperatures. Although the extension and impact of acid mine drainage (AMD) in this area is known, the native microbial communities involved in this process are still scarcely studied and uncharacterized. Several abandoned mining areas were explored in the search for active AMD and a culture-independent approach was applied with samples from two different runoffs for the identification and quantification of the native microbial communities. The results obtained revealed two distinct microbial communities. One of the runoffs was more extreme with regards to pH and higher concentration of soluble iron and heavy metals. These conditions favored the development of algal-dominated microbial mats. Typical AMD microorganisms related to known iron-oxidizing bacteria (Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria) dominated the bacterial community although some unexpected populations related to Chloroflexi were also significant. No microbial mats were found in the second area. The geochemistry here showed less extreme drainage, most likely in direct contact with the ore under the waste pile. Large deposits of secondary minerals were found and the presence of iron stalks was revealed by microscopy analysis. Although typical AMD microorganisms were also detected here, the microbial community was dominated by other populations, some of them new to this type of system (Saccharibacteria, Gallionellaceae). These were absent or lowered in numbers the farther from the spring source and they could represent native populations involved in the oxidation of sulphide rocks within the waste rock pile. This environment appears thus as a highly interesting field of potential novelty in terms of both phylogenetic/taxonomic and functional diversity

Comparison of the microbial communities of hot springs waters and the microbial biofilms in the acidic geothermal area of Copahue (Neuquén, Argentina)

Copahue is a natural geothermal field (Neuquén province, Argentina) dominated by the Copahue volcano. As a consequence of the sustained volcanic activity, Copahue presents many acidic pools, hot springs and solfataras with different temperature and pH conditions that influence their microbial diversity. The occurrence of microbial biofilms was observed on the surrounding rocks and the borders of the ponds, where water movements and thermal activity are less intense. Microbial biofilms are particular ecological niches within geothermal environments; they present different geochemical conditions from that found in the water of the ponds and hot springs which is reflected in different microbial community structure. The aim of this study is to compare microbial community diversity in the water of ponds and hot springs and in microbial biofilms in the Copahue geothermal field, with particular emphasis on Cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic species that have not been detected before in Copahue. In this study, we report the presence of Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi and chloroplasts of eukaryotes in the microbial biofilms not detected in the water of the ponds. On the other hand, acidophilic bacteria, the predominant species in the water of moderate temperature ponds, are almost absent in the microbial biofilms in spite of having in some cases similar temperature conditions. Species affiliated with Sulfolobales in the Archaea domain are the predominant microorganism in high temperature ponds and were also detected in the microbial biofilms.Fil: Urbieta, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Toril, Elena. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; EspañaFil: Aguilera Bazán, Ángeles. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; EspañaFil: Giaveno, María Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnol.conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación y Des. En Ing. de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energias Alternativas. Idepa - Subsede San Antonio Oeste; ArgentinaFil: Donati, Edgardo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentin

Archaeal and bacterial diversity in five different hydrothermal ponds in the Copahue region in Argentina

Copahue is an acidic geothermal volcanic region in the northwest corner of Neuquén Province, Argentina. In the area, there are various ponds, pools and hot springs with different temperatures, pH values and levels of anthropogenic influence. In this study, the prokaryotic biodiversity of five representative ponds was studied by using two complementary molecular ecology techniques: phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA bacterial and archaeal genes and FISH (or CARD-FISH) for quantitative estimation of biodiversity. The results, supported by multivariate statistical analysis, showed that the biodiversity in Copahue ponds seemed to be determined by temperature. High temperature ponds were dominated by archaea, mainly apparently novel representatives from the orders Sulfolobales and Thermoplasmatales that had no close cultivated relatives. By contrast, moderate temperature ponds were colonised by well-characterised sulphur-oxidising bacteria related to acidic environments, such as other geothermal sites or acid mine drainage, and archaea were absent. By combining the biodiversity results from this study and the reported physicochemical features of Copahue, a preliminary model of the possible biogeochemical interaction was outlined for moderate and high temperature ponds.Fil: Urbieta, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Toril, Elena. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; EspañaFil: Giaveno Filippa, María Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Aguilera Bazán, A. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; EspañaFil: Donati, Edgardo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentin

Prokaryotic community structure in algal photosynthetic biofilms from extreme acidic streams in Rio Tinto (Huelva, Spain)

Author Posting. © Spanish Society for Microbiology (SEM), 2008. This article is posted here by permission of Spanish Society for Microbiology (SEM) for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in International Microbiology 11 (2008): 251-260, doi:10.2436/20.1501.01.69.Four algal photosynthetic biofilms were collected from the Rio Tinto (SW Spain) at four localities: AG, Euglena and Pinnularia biofilms; ANG, Chlorella and Pinnularia biofilms; RI, Cyanidium and Dunaliella biofilms; and CEM, Cyanidium, Euglena and Pinnularia biofilms. Community composition and structure were studied by a polyphasic approach consisting of 16S rRNA analysis, scanning electron microscopy by back-scattered electron detection mode (SEM-BSE), and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). Acidophilic prokaryotes associated with algal photosynthetic biofilms included sequences related to the Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria (phylum Proteobacteria) and to the phyla Nitrospira, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Firmicutes. Sequences from the Archaea domain were also identified. No more than seven distinct lineages were detected in any biofilm, except for those from RI, which contained fewer groups of Bacteria. Prokaryotic communities of the thinnest algal photosynthetic biofilms (<100 μm) were more related to those in the water column, including Leptospirillum populations. In general, thick biofilms (>200 μm) generate microniches that could facilitate the development of less-adapted microorganisms (coming from the surrounding environment) to extreme conditions, thus resulting in a more diverse prokaryotic biofilm.V.SE. and A.A are supported by a Ramón y Cajal contract from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. EG-T. is supported by Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA). This work was supported by a grant from the MECSpain (CGL2005-05470/BOS) and by Centro de Astrobiología (CSICINTA) and a grant from NASA Astrobiology Institute (NC-1054 LAZ)

The influence of two thermophilic consortia on troilite (FeS) dissolution

Dissolution of a natural troilite by thermophilic consortia collected from two hot springs placed in Copahue geothermal region (Neuquen - Argentina) and later enriched in specific media for sulphur-oxidisers is reported in this paper. The enrichment was carried out at a temperature (65 °C) far away from those measured in the original hot springs (40.5 °C and 87 °C) in order to analyse the flexibility of the consortia to keep viability under other temperature conditions. Different microscopic techniques (SEM, TEM, fluorescence microscopy) allowed the partial characterisation of the cultures used as inocula in the bioleaching experiments. Results show that, as other metal sulphides, troilite dissolution can be strongly catalysed by sulphur (and iron) wild oxidising microorganisms present in the consortia from Copahue hot springs. According to our results, the addition of sulphur increased the bioleaching rate although the troilite dissolution is not limited by such addition because sulphur is in situ generated by chemical oxidation. Iron solubilised from troilite was partially precipitated mainly as jarosite. An additional and interesting result of our studies indicates that natural consortia can have a wide thermal flexibility and there are some strains among them - especially archaeas from Sulfolobales genus - that are able to survive at temperatures far away from the ones registered in the place where they were collected. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.Fil: Giaveno Filippa, Maria Alejandra. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pettinari, Gisela Roxana. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Toril, Elena. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial.; EspañaFil: Aguilera, A.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial.; EspañaFil: Urbieta, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Donati, Edgardo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentin