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Microbial ecology

Molecular probing of deep secrets

Nature volume 398, pages 752–753 (1999)Cite this article

Techniques from molecular biology and organic geochemistry have been combined to provide a new tool for microbial ecologists, as shown by ribosomal RNA surveys and carbon isotopic analysis of sedimentary lipids reported by Hinrichs et al. on page 802 of this issue1. Several lines of evidence suggest that methane gas seeping from unstable methane hydrates supports a newly discovered microbial community, which is unusual both in its genetic relationships and in its metabolism.

The concept of microbial diversity has been transformed by the growth in sequence data from ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA)2. The cloning and sequencing of RNA from microbes living in their natural environments has revealed a genetic diversity beyond the dreams of researchers whose tools were limited to microscopy and cell culturing3,4. RNA molecular probes have revealed previously unknown evolutionary lineages, as well as associations between the genetic structure of communities and their ecophysiology5.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Australian Geological Survey Organisation, GPO Box 378, Canberra City, ACT 2601, Australia

    Roger Summons

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  1. Roger Summons
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Summons, R. Molecular probing of deep secrets. Nature 398, 752–753 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/19630

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