Go to content Go to the menu Go to the search

Quick access, personalized services
Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie
UMR 7590 - UPMC/CNRS/IRD/MNHN

Fossilization of bacteria in microbialites

Finding traces of intracellular CaCO3 biomineralization in the geological record requires to better understand the fossilization processes prevailing in environments where these cyanobacteria are found. By studying microbialites forming in several Mexican lakes and populated by cyanobacteria forming intracellular CaCO3, we showed the importance of (extracellular) fine grained and poorly crystallized Mg-silicate precipitation in these lakes (Zeyen et al., 2015). These authigenic and early precipitating phases have a high fossilization potential for a diversity of microorganisms and may have been overlooked in the geological record (Iniesto et al., 2015; Zeyen et al., in prep).

Scanning electron microscopy image of cells fossilized by Mg-silicates.

© Nina Zeyen

 

ERC Calcyan

Diversity / Ultrastructures / Molecular mechanisms / Isotopic fractionation (Sr, Ba) / Environmental and geochemical / Fossilization

Correlative SEM-CLSM / STXM / Real-time geochemistry

Team

04/12/17

Traductions :

Also in the section

    Deciphering the

    mechanisms

    involved in the

    hyperaccumulation

    of alkaline earth

    metals by

    cyanobacteria

     read more

    ----------------------

     

    VIDEO RESOURCES

    Seminars of the Transverse theme Life & minerals

    Online lessons

    READ MORE

    08/07/21