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6 HEALTH AND LABORATORY MAGAZINE

ANCIENT MICROBIAL “DARK MATTER”

Thousands of Unknown Bacterial Species
Discovered in Hawaiian Lava Caves

Higher bacterial diversity important ecological ‘jobs,’ present in the samples. not the most abundant do not grow in isolation.
than scientists expected or roles,” said first author Co-occurring bacterial bacteria, and the individual Instead, they grow, live,
has been uncovered in Dr. Rebecca D Prescott networks also provided communities from the and interact with many
the lava caves, lava tubes, of NASA Johnson Space hints regarding possible different sites showed other microorganisms in
and geothermal vents on Center and University of interactions between these large variations in the a sea of chemical signals
the big island of Hawaii. Hawaii at Manoa, in the microorganisms. diversity and complexity of from those other microbes.
The findings have been US. “The Chloroflexi are an the microbial interactions. This then can alter their
reported in a new study extremely diverse group The harshest conditions— Counterintuitively, the gene expression, affecting
published today (July of bacteria, with lots of the geothermal sites—were most abundant groups, what their jobs are in the
21, 2022) in the journal different roles found in lots expected to have lower Oxyphotobacteria and community.”
Frontiers in Microbiology. of different environments, diversity than the more Actinobacteria, were
but they are not well established and habitable not often ‘hub’ species, Beyond the insights about
This research investigates studied and so we don’t lava tubes. While the suggesting that their roles past, or even future, life
the variety and interactions know what they do in diversity was indeed found may be less important to on Mars, bacteria from
within these microbial these communities. Some to be lower, the team of the overall structure of the volcanic environments
ecosystems, which scientists call such groups researchers was surprised community. can also be useful in
illustrate how life may ‘microbial dark matter’ — to discover that the understanding how
have existed on Mars the unseen or un-studied interactions within these MORE QUESTIONS microbes turn volcanic
and the early Earth in microorganisms in nature.” communities were more THAN ANSWERS rock (basalt) into soils, as
the past. Surprisingly, the complex than in locations well as bioremediation,
findings showed that a UNSEEN VOLCANIC LIFE with higher diversity. Since the current study biotechnology, and
class of bacteria known as was based on the partial sustainable resource
Chloroflexi are often “hub” Prescott and her “This leads to the sequencing of one gene, management.
species, meaning that they colleagues gathered 70 question, do extreme it cannot accurately
are connected with many samples from a variety environments help determine the species Article: “Islands Within
other species and typically of locations, including create more interactive of microbes or their Islands: Bacterial
play crucial ecological active geothermal vents microbial communities, ‘jobs’ in the community. Phylogenetic Structure and
roles in the community. (fumaroles), as well as with microorganisms more Therefore, further research Consortia in Hawaiian Lava
Many Chloroflexi species “younger” and “older” lava dependent on each other?” is needed to help reveal Caves and Fumaroles”
are little understood, and tubes and caves, which said Prescott. “And if so, the individual species that by Rebecca D. Prescott,
further research will reveal were under 400 years old what is it about extreme are present, as well as to Tatyana Zamkovaya,
previously undiscovered and between 500 and 800 environments that helps to better understand these Stuart P. Donachie, Diana
species, as well as insights years old, respectively, create this?” bacteria’s roles in the E. Northup, Joseph J.
into the role these species to get a sense of how the environment. Medley, Natalia Monsalve,
play in these extreme bacterial communities Since Chloroflexi, and Jimmy H. Saw, Alan W.
environments. might change over another class called “Overall, this study helps Decho, Patrick S. G. Chain
time. They were able to Acidobacteria, were to illustrate how important and Penelope J. Boston,
“This study points to the determine the diversity present at nearly all of it is to study microbes in 21 July 2022, Frontiers in
possibility that more and abundance of the the locations, they may co-culture, rather than Microbiology.
ancient lineages of bacterial classes in each play essential roles in growing them alone (as
bacteria, like the phylum sample by sequencing these communities. isolates),” said Prescott. “In DOI: 10.3389/
Chloroflexi, may have the ribosomal RNA However, these were the natural world, microbes fmicb.2022.934708