Electroactivity in a deep crater lake: microbial and mineralogical contributions

Post doc Jasmine Berg (advisors: J. Miot, C. Laberty-Robert-LCMCP; Labex Matisse grant)

Electron transfers from microorganisms to electrodes provide the basis for the design of microbial fuel cells. Whereas a few model microorganisms are currently used for these applications, the diversity of electroactive microorganisms in the environment remains largely unexplored, potentially hiding alternative modes of electron transfer. The lake Pavin (France) is a deep crater lake hosting a wide microbial diversity. In particular, the presence of a redox transition zone (within the water column) is prone to the activity of sulfate reducing bacteria, iron-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria, ... Our lab, in collaboration with other groups, participate in the characterization of microbial and mineralogical diversity in this lake. This postdoc project explores microbe-mineral interactions in this lake, with the aim of identifying electroactive microorganisms from this lake and studying the mechanisms of electron transfer they promote. Approaches include cyclic voltammetry, fluorescence in situ hybridization and epifluorescence / confocal microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy.

Collaborators:

Christel Laberty-Robert, LCMCP

Didier Jézéquel, IPGP

Image from: Mineralogical diversity in Lake Pavin: connections with water column chemistry and biomineralization processes (2016) Miot J., Jézéquel D., Benzerara K., Cordier L., Rivas-Lamelo S., Skouri-Panet F., Férard C., Poinsot M., Duprat E. Minerals, 6: 24