Microbial and inorganic control on the composition of clay from volcanic glass alteration experiments

Cuadros, Javier; Afsin, B.; Jadubansa, Premroy; Ardakani, M.G.; Ascaso, Carmen; Wierzchos, Jacek

doi:10.2138/am.2013.4272

Cited by 27 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Microbial biofilms. (a) Photograph of a biofilm, in water, developing attached to grains of ground rhyolitic obsidian, from the experiments of Cuadros et al (2013a, b). This experiment corresponds to freshwater from a spring.…”

Section: Biofilmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clay minerals interaction with microorganisms: a review

2017

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Interest in mineral–microbe interaction has grown enormously over recent decades, providing information in a puzzle-like manner which points towards an ever increasingly intimate relationship between the two; a relationship that can be truly termed co-evolution. Clay minerals play a very central role in this co-evolving system. Some 20 years ago, clay scientists looked at clay mineral–microbe studies as a peripheral interest only. Now, can clay scientists think that they understand the formation of clay minerals throughout geological history if they do not include life in their models? The answer is probably no, but we do not yet know the relative weight of biological and inorganic factors involved in driving clay-mineral formation and transformation. Similarly, microbiologists are missing out important information if they do not investigate the influence and modifications that minerals, particularly clay minerals, have on microbial activity and evolution. This review attempts to describe the several points relating clay minerals and microorganisms that have been discovered so far. The information obtained is still very incomplete and many opportunities exist for clay scientists to help to write the real history of the biosphere.

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Section: Biofilmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clay minerals interaction with microorganisms: a review

2017

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“…The analysis of mineralogical associations indicates a clear preference for the secondary alteration products found in the vesicles of these rocks: phyllosilicates, calcites, and zeolites. These minerals have been extensively reported as support structures for microbial habitation in basaltic environments, both in the surface and in the subsurface (Léveillé et al, 2000;Boston et al, 2001;Ivarsson et al, , 2015Léveillé and Datta, 2010;Cuadros et al, 2013). The strong fluorescence signatures with short decay times observed in association with these minerals indicate the likely presence of organic material in these POIs.…”

Section: Correlations Between Physical Properties and Organic Materials Distributionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…For example, highly altered basalts (such as those derived from fumaroles) have ready availability of the chemical energy needed for microbial metabolism, and have been shown to host microbial colonies throughout the world (Mayhew et al, 2007;Wall et al, 2015;Hynek et al, 2018). Furthermore, some alteration minerals found in basalts offer structural support for microbial colony growth (Léveillé et al, 2000;Boston et al, 2001;Ivarsson et al, , 2015Léveillé and Datta, 2010;Cuadros et al, 2013). Basalts that exhibit different types and degrees of alteration (ranging from unaltered to highly altered) are hypothesized to demonstrate variation in microbial biomass and organic material that may be detectable with spectroscopic instruments.…”

Section: Organic Materials In Basaltsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic Material Distribution in Mars-Analog Volcanic Rocks, as Determined with Ultraviolet Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy

et al. 2021

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Understanding the distribution of trace organic material in a rocky environment is a key to constraining the material requirements for sustaining microbial life. We used an ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy instrument to characterize the distribution of organic biosignatures in basalts collected from two Mars-analog environments. We correlated the fluorescence results with alteration-related sample properties. These samples exhibit a range of alteration conditions found in the volcanic environments of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai'i (HI), and Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho (ID), including fumarolic systems. LIF mapping of the sample surfaces and interiors showed a heterogeneous distribution of areas of highly fluorescent material (point[s]-of-interest [POIs])-with fluorescence characteristics indicative of organic material. Results suggest that POIs are associated with secondary alteration mineral deposits in the rock's vesicles, including zeolites and calcite. Scanning electron microscopy with electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to characterize the mineralogy present at POIs and support the evidence of carbonbearing material. Overall, samples collected proximate to active or relict meteoric fumaroles from Hawai'i were shown to contain evidence for organic deposits. This suggests that these minerals are measurable spectroscopic targets that may be used to inform sample-site selection for astrobiology research.

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“…Emphasis has been placed on the importance of micro- to nanoscale investigations for disentangling the intricacies of microbially-mediated or abiotically-driven weathering mechanisms 17 , 18 , particularly in complex ecosystems where laboratory studies do not reproduce the extent of weathering that occurs in soils 19 . Microorganisms catalyze mineral weathering and silicate glass alteration to varying extents 20 – 23 , yet it remains unclear to what degree biological weathering processes transform volcanic glass and basaltic minerals 24 , 25 . Laboratory studies examining the relative influence of abiotic and biotic constituents on basalt dissolution report a number of realizations that include: (1) greater rates of basalt dissolution in the presence of bacteria where the degree of weathering also varied with the bulk elemental compositions of the volcanic glasses 26 , 27 ; (2) the enhanced release of Zr, Sc, Mn, Fe, Ti, Si/Al, and Si/Fe from basalt in the presence of organic acids, citrate, and dissolved organic matter extracts from Ponderosa Pine forest soil organic horizons 28 , 29 ; and (3) the important role of biofilms in producing contrasting secondary weathering products under abiotic versus biotic conditions 24 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal hyphae develop where titanomagnetite inclusions reach the surface of basalt grains

Lybrand

Qafoku

Bowden

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Nutrient foraging by fungi weathers rocks by mechanical and biochemical processes. Distinguishing fungal-driven transformation from abiotic mechanisms in soil remains a challenge due to complexities within natural field environments. We examined the role of fungal hyphae in the incipient weathering of granulated basalt from a three-year field experiment in a mixed hardwood-pine forest (S. Carolina) to identify alteration at the nanometer to micron scales based on microscopy-tomography analyses. Investigations of fungal-grain contacts revealed (i) a hypha-biofilm-basaltic glass interface coinciding with titanomagnetite inclusions exposed on the grain surface and embedded in the glass matrix and (ii) native dendritic and subhedral titanomagnetite inclusions in the upper 1–2 µm of the grain surface that spanned the length of the fungal-grain interface. We provide evidence of submicron basaltic glass dissolution occurring at a fungal-grain contact in a soil field setting. An example of how fungal-mediated weathering can be distinguished from abiotic mechanisms in the field was demonstrated by observing hyphal selective occupation and hydrolysis of glass-titanomagnetite surfaces. We hypothesize that the fungi were drawn to basaltic glass-titanomagnetite boundaries given that titanomagnetite exposed on or very near grain surfaces represents a source of iron to microbes. Furthermore, glass is energetically favorable to weathering in the presence of titanomagnetite. Our observations demonstrate that fungi interact with and transform basaltic substrates over a three-year time scale in field environments, which is central to understanding the rates and pathways of biogeochemical reactions related to nuclear waste disposal, geologic carbon storage, nutrient cycling, cultural artifact preservation, and soil-formation processes.

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Microbial and inorganic control on the composition of clay from volcanic glass alteration experiments

Cited by 27 publications

References 43 publications

Clay minerals interaction with microorganisms: a review

Clay minerals interaction with microorganisms: a review

Organic Material Distribution in Mars-Analog Volcanic Rocks, as Determined with Ultraviolet Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Fungal hyphae develop where titanomagnetite inclusions reach the surface of basalt grains

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