Evaluation of Community Structures and their Physicochemical Correlation with Five Hot Springs in India

Bacterial Diversity and CAZyme Potential Revealed in Pandanus Rich Thermal Spring Cluster of India: A Non-cultivable 16S rRNA Sequencing Approach

“…The distance between the four thermal springs at Deulajhari is approximately 10–20 meters. The thermal spring located at the entry point of the Deulajhari was sampled for microbial diversity study in an earlier study ( Dixit et al, 2021 ), as shown in Figure 1A . Sample collection from these locations (kunds) was performed in January 2016.…”

“…We selected four sampling points targeting a gradient of temperature; the coldest had a temperature of 43 • C-DJ01 (Himakunda), the moderate was 50 • C-DJ02 (Labakusakunda), the hottest was 65 • C-DJ03 (Taptakunda) and its outflow water was collected through a 20meter man-made drain closer to the ground (0.4 meters height) with a 10 • C lower temperature of 55 • C-DJ04. Our earlier study examined a spring located ∼200 meters away from the present sampling location, at the entry point of the Deulajhari complex (Dixit et al, 2021) near the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Shiva temple (Figure 1A). People travel from across the state to bathe in a man-made spring outflow of pond water there as part of religious customs, to cure themselves of several chronic ailments, and spring has become an important cultural pilgrimage site.…”

“…Valorization of biomass through microbial transformation employs novel thermophilic CAZymes to produce food, feed, and fuel for their robust adaptability. Our previous study undertook a non-cultivable analysis of the entry point of the Deulajhari spring detected several biomass degrading bacteria Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Chryseobacterium sp., and Raoultella, as this is the established approach for discovering evolved CAZomes (Dixit et al, 2021). Based upon this earlier study, we explored the present sample locations DJ01-04 (around 300 meters away from the previous), which are surrounded by a thick mat of Pandanus leaf litter, anticipating a higher abundance of CAZymes and a higher gradient of TOC.…”

“…The heated water charged with minerals, aromatic compounds and other curative molecules impart therapeutic properties for which Deulajhari has earned the adage “magic water” and became a holy pilgrimage site within local traditions ( Deulajhari, 2020 ; Manisha, 2021 ). Our recent report on spring water (the main “kund” near the temple) located at the entry point of Deulajhari following the amplicon approach revealed a considerable amount of information on the prevalence of diverse microbial populations and potential biomass-degrading bacteria ( Dixit et al, 2021 ). The main spring opening had a temperature of around 58°C, surrounded by fewer pandanus plants with sediment samples collected in the winter season.…”

Shift in Microbial Community Structure with Temperature in Deulajhari Hot Spring Cluster, Odisha, India

“…9 Thermophilic springs have been attracting researchers for their geological history, biogeography and physicochemical variation, as these provide a suitable habitat for thermophilic microbiota. 10 Diverse studies of the thermophilic microflora in various geothermal sites have provided detailed information on the thermophilic microbial diversity and shown the path to access the bioresources that have impending relevance in biotechnological applications. 11,12 Odisha, located in the eastern side of India, is bestowed with various geothermal springs, Atri, Taptapani, Tarabalo and Deulajhari, which have not been thoroughly investigated yet.…”