Simulating putative Enceladus-like conditions
- Author(s)
- Ruth-Sophie Taubner, Patricia Pappenreiter, Jennifer Zwicker, Daniel Smrzka, Christian Pruckner, Philipp Kolar, Sebastian Bernacchi, Arne H Seifert, Wolfgang Bach, Jörn Peckmann, Christian Paulik, Maria Gertrude Firneis, Christa Schleper, Simon Karl-Maria Rasso Rittmann
- Abstract
In this study (Taubner et al. 2018), three different methanogenic archaea (Methanothermococcus okinawensis, Methanothermobacter marburgensis, and Methanococcus villosus) were tested for metabolic activities and growth under putative Enceladus-like conditions, including high pressure experiments and tests on the tolerance towards potential gaseous and liquid inhibitors detected in Enceladus' plume. In particular, M. okinawensis, an isolate from a deep marine trench (Takai et al. 2002), showed tolerance towards all of the added inhibitors and maintained methanogenesis even in the range of 10 to 50 bar. Further, we were able to show that H2 production based on serpentinization may be sufficient to fuel such methanogenic life on Enceladus. The experiments revealed that methanogenesis could, in principle, be feasible under Enceladus-like conditions.
- Organisation(s)
- Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Geology, Department of Astrophysics
- External organisation(s)
- Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Krajete GmbH, Austria, Universität Bremen, Universität Hamburg, Universität Wien
- Journal
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
- Volume
- 14
- Pages
- 219-221
- No. of pages
- 3
- ISSN
- 1743-9213
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921319001789
- Publication date
- 01-2019
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103003 Astronomy, 103004 Astrophysics, 106022 Microbiology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nutrition and Dietetics, Medicine (miscellaneous), Space and Planetary Science
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/simulating-putative-enceladuslike-conditions(3640be79-5774-433b-8430-d99103c49246).html