High-P Microbes

5. High-P Microbes

Field observations of microbes recovered from deep drill cores, deep mines, and the ocean floor, coupled with laboratory investigations in environmental cells, reveal that microbial life can exist at conditions of extreme temperatures (to above 110ºC) and pressures (to > 10,000 atmospheres) previous thought impossible. I continue to be interested in, and have raised money to support, research on microbes at extreme conditions. At the Geophysical Laboratory these efforts are undertaken primarily by Matt Schrenk and Patrick Griffin.

Hazen, R.M. and E.Roedder (2001) How old are bacteria from the Permian age? Nature, 411: 155.

Sharma, A., J. H. Scott, G.D.Cody, M.L.Fogel, R.M.Hazen, R.Hemley and W.T.Huntress (2002) Microbial activity at gigapascal pressures. Science 295, 1514-1516.

Hazen, R.M., N. Boctor, J. A. Brandes, G. D. Cody, R. J. Hemley, A. Sharma and H. S. Yoder, Jr. (2002) High pressure and the origin of life. J. Phys. Condensed Matter 14, 1-6.

Hazen, R. M. (2006) Testing the limits on the small scale. Geotimes June 2006, 22-25.

We propose to build an array of large-volume, diamond-window environmental cells to study cultures of microbes at a range of conditions. Designs and machinist specifications for these cells will soon be posted on this site.

These images from Sharma et al. (Science, 2003) show microbes at high pressure. We found that E. coli and Shewinella oneidensis remain viable to pressures exceeding 1 GPa (~10,000 atmospheres).