Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Methane-eating microbes make their own oxygen

Nature (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Bacteria may have survived on Earth without plants, thanks to unique metabolism.

Researchers have discovered a possible new species of bacteria that survives by producing and 'breathing' its own oxygen. The finding suggests that some microbes could have thrived without oxygen-producing plants on the early Earth — and on other planets — by using their own oxygen to garner energy from methane (CH4).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Ettwig, K. F. et al. Nature 464, 543-548 (2010).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Raghoebarsing, A. A. et al. Nature 440, 918-921 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Amanda Leigh Mascarelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Related links

Related links

Related external links

Mike Jetten's web page

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Leigh Mascarelli, A. Methane-eating microbes make their own oxygen. Nature (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2010.146

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2010.146

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing