Silica Biomineralization of Calothrix-Dominated Biofacies from Queen's Laundry Hot-Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Smythe, Wendy; McAllister, Sean M.; Hager, Kyle R.; Tebo, Bradley M.; Moyer, Craig L.

doi:10.3389/fenvs.2016.00040

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Cyanobacteria have been reported to induce silicification in microfossils and modern extreme environments such as hot springs and sediments where amorphous silica or silicic acid is supersaturated and the pH is often extreme. [ 35,36 ] Recent study has also provided evidence that silicate is precipitated by Synechococcus sp., a kind of cyanobacteria, on the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) associated with decomposing picophytoplankton. The EPS functions in providing an organic template that selectively incorporates supersaturated silica.…”

Section: Microbe‐mediated Mineralization In Naturementioning

confidence: 99%

Microbe‐Mediated Extracellular and Intracellular Mineralization: Environmental, Industrial, and Biotechnological Applications

et al. 2020

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Bacteria play an important role in the calcification process of natural minerals and within organisms ( Table 1). It is Microbe-mediated mineralization is ubiquitous in nature, involving bacteria, fungi, viruses, and algae. These mineralization processes comprise calcification, silicification, and iron mineralization. The mechanisms for mineral formation include extracellular and intracellular biomineralization. The mineral precipitating capability of microbes is often harnessed for green synthesis of metal nanoparticles, which are relatively less toxic compared with those synthesized through physical or chemical methods. Microbe-mediated mineralization has important applications ranging from pollutant removal and nonreactive carriers, to other industrial and biomedical applications. Herein, the different types of microbe-mediated biomineralization that occur in nature, their mechanisms, as well as their applications are elucidated to create a backdrop for future research.

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Section: Microbe‐mediated Mineralization In Naturementioning

confidence: 99%

Microbe‐Mediated Extracellular and Intracellular Mineralization: Environmental, Industrial, and Biotechnological Applications

et al. 2020

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“…Life 2020, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 9 that the bacteria were covered with/surrounded by botryoidal silica precipitate similar to that observed in microbial samples obtained from hot spring outflow streams in Yellowstone National Park ( Figures 4 and 5) [10,11,16].…”

Section: Added Microbial Life Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…Silica can precipitate via dehydration, but the relatively fast rotation (1 RPM) combined with a temperature of 50 °C and minimal venting meant the system would remain humid. Despite this, after seven days, micron-scale silica precipitates were observed, with the same characteristic botryoidal texture found in silica precipitates from modern hot spring environments (Figure 3) [9][10][11]16].…”

Section: Abiotic Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…A cyanobacteria mixture of Gleocapsa, Oscillatoria, Anabaena, Fischerella, and Gleotrichia was streaked onto microscope slides attached to the rotating cylinder. After seven days, the cyanobacteria were imaged via SEM and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) which showed that the bacteria were covered with/surrounded by botryoidal silica precipitate similar to that observed in microbial samples obtained from hot spring outflow streams in Yellowstone National Park (Figures 4 and 5) [10,11,16].…”

Section: Added Microbial Life Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…Silica is also thought to play an important role in synthesizing important prebiotic molecules, specifically when subjected to dehydration and rehydration cycles [5][6][7] which can precipitate out of solution as the water temperature drops with distance from the source. This silica precipitate can entomb and preserve microbial life [8], but can also be observed to be intimately associated with extant microbes (Figure 1) through silica-coatings [9][10][11]. While the exact functions/benefits of these coatings are not completely understood, they may provide some degree of UV protection as silica can shield from intense UV due to a high radiation absorbance [12], a similar strategy employed by many microbial communities in hot spring systems which thrive as endolithic (within-rock) communities boring into the surface of siliceous sinter [13,14], or as hypolithic (under-rock) communities living under millimeters of loose siliceous sinter [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Silica Precipitation in a Wet–Dry Cycling Hot Spring Simulation Chamber

Gangidine

Havig

Hannon

et al. 2020

Life

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Terrestrial hot springs have emerged as strong contenders for sites that could have facilitated the origin of life. Cycling between wet and dry conditions is a key feature of these systems, which can produce both structural and chemical complexity within protocellular material. Silica precipitation is a common phenomenon in terrestrial hot springs and is closely associated with life in modern systems. Not only does silica preserve evidence of hot spring life, it also can help it survive during life through UV protection, a factor which would be especially relevant on the early Earth. Determining which physical and chemical components of hot springs are the result of life vs. non-life in modern hot spring systems is a difficult task, however, since life is so prevalent in these environments. Using a model hot spring simulation chamber, we demonstrate a simple yet effective way to precipitate silica with or without the presence of life. This system may be valuable in further investigating the plausible role of silica precipitation in ancient terrestrial hot spring environments even before life arose, as well as its potential role in providing protection from the high surface UV conditions which may have been present on early Earth.

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The influence of microbial mats on travertine precipitation in active hydrothermal systems (Central Italy)

Porta

Hoppert

Hallmann

et al. 2021

The Depositional Record

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The study of hydrothermal travertines contributes to the understanding of the interaction between physico‐chemical processes and microbial mats in carbonate precipitation. Three active travertine sites were investigated in Central Italy to characterise the types of carbonate precipitates and the associated microbial mats at varying physico‐chemical parameters. Carbonate precipitated fabrics at the decimetre to millimetre‐scale and microbial mat composition vary with decreasing water temperature: (a) at relatively higher temperature (55–44°C) calcite and aragonite crystals precipitate on microbial mats of Chloroflexi and sulphur‐oxidizing microbes forming filamentous streamer fabrics with sparse cyanobacteria, (b) at intermediate temperature (44–40°C), rafts, coated gas bubbles and dendrites are associated with Spirulina cyanobacteria and other filamentous and rod‐shaped cyanobacteria, (c) low temperature (34–33°C) laminated crusts and oncoids forming in a terraced slope system are associated with diverse Oscillatoriales and Nostocales filamentous cyanobacteria, Spirulina and diatoms. At the microscale, carbonate precipitates are similar in the three sites consisting of prismatic calcite crystals organised in radial rosettes or fibrous aragonite spherulites (40–300 µm in diameter), overlying or embedded in Extracellular Polymeric Substances. Clotted peloidal micrite dominates at temperatures <40°C, also encrusting filamentous microbes. Carbonates are associated with gypsum crystals; extracellular polymeric substances are enriched in silicon, aluminium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous and sulphur; authigenic aluminium‐silicates form aggregates on Extracellular Polymeric Substances. This study confirms that microbial communities in hydrothermal settings vary as a function of water temperature. Carbonate precipitates at the microscale are similar in the three settings, despite different microbial communities, suggesting that travertine precipitation, driven by carbon dioxide degassing, is influenced by biofilm extracellular polymeric substances acting as a substrate for crystal nucleation (Extracellular Polymeric Substances‐mediated mineralization) and affecting the resultant fabric types, independently from specific microbial community composition and metabolism.

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Silica Biomineralization of Calothrix-Dominated Biofacies from Queen's Laundry Hot-Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Cited by 15 publications

References 41 publications

Microbe‐Mediated Extracellular and Intracellular Mineralization: Environmental, Industrial, and Biotechnological Applications

Microbe‐Mediated Extracellular and Intracellular Mineralization: Environmental, Industrial, and Biotechnological Applications

Silica Precipitation in a Wet–Dry Cycling Hot Spring Simulation Chamber

The influence of microbial mats on travertine precipitation in active hydrothermal systems (Central Italy)

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