17 January 2002

Geochemistry: Hydrogen of life

Geologically derived hydrogen has been proposed as a possible energy source for subsurface microbes on Mars and Europa. The discovery of a remarkable microbial community deep in the subsurface of a volcanic terrain in Idaho shows that this lifestyle can indeed work. Analysis of DNA in the groundwater shows that hydrogen-oxidizing methanogenic microorganisms constitute over 90% of the microbial community, in contrast to all previously described environments on Earth where methanogens peak at 5%. Geochemical analysis shows that the methanogens are living on geologically produced hydrogen, making this the first known hydrogen-based microbial community on Earth.

A hydrogen-based subsurface microbial community dominated by methanogens
FRANCIS H. CHAPELLE, KATHLEEN O'NEILL, PAUL M. BRADLEY, BARBARA A. METHÉ, STACY A. CIUFO, LEROY L. KNOBEL & DEREK R. LOVLEY
Nature 415, 312–315 (17 January 2002)
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Life, as it was in the beginning?