Organic Geochemical approach to investigate distribution and activities of methanogens in subsurface marine sediments

Mar 25, 2024, 13:15 Uhr

MARUM Seminar

MARUM seminar room 2070

Dr. Masanori Kaneko

Geological Survey of Japan, AIST and Max-Plank Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology

Methanogenesis as an energy metabolism occurs in anaerobic conditions and plays the final process of organic matter degradation. Over the years, previous studies have revealed that vast quantity of methane is present in marine sediments of continental margins, and that a part of the methane is of microbial origin. However, quantifying ongoing methanogenesis in deep marine sediments are still challenging although it is important for better understanding of carbon cycles, its impacts on global warming and formation of energy resources. Biomarker analysis in Organic Geochemistry has an advantage over other biological techniques in detecting in situ signals in deep marine sediments. Coenzyme F430 which is well known to catalyze the last step of methanogenesis reaction can be a robust biomarker to explore distribution of methanogens in deep marine sediments. In this seminar, I will introduce our study on coenzyme F430 in marine sediments and what it tells us.