Geomicrobiology and Microbial Geochemistry Workshop 2013

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

A two-day workshop reviewing the past progress, future opportunities, and possible new approaches to advance the field of Geomicrobiology and Microbial Geochemistry (GMG) will be held in Chicago, IL, involving 30 leading scientists in the field. The primary product of this event will be the generation of a report illustrating these points to serve as an informational tool for the field at large and scientists in other fields with possible overlapping expertise and interest. Additionally, participants will lay out at least one viable framework to better encourage and facilitate the multidisciplinary nature of the challenges and opportunities for basic scientific advancement in the field. Geomicrobiology and Microbial Geochemistry are two fields of expertise intimately linked towards understanding the fundamental nature of how microorganisms and their chemical surroundings behave in tandem. Microorganisms shape their surroundings through metabolism and growth, dominating many geochemical cycles (including carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron), while the chemical setting (including minerals, water, and gases) plays a decisive role in selecting for populations of microbes able to thrive in specific locations. This link between microorganisms and their chemical surroundings shape a wide variety of modern and ancient settings. There remain a host of questions, challenges, and opportunities for advancing better understanding of these interactions. These gaps in understanding limit the ability to precisely define signals of life in deep time or other planets, gauge the relative changes in microbial cycling of elements in response to climate change, and predict how anthropogenic impacts on land, sea, and atmosphere will affect natural systems, among other things. Microbial interactions with their chemical surroundings are key processes to consider in a wide range of problems of great societal interest, including the availability of resources, the impact of man on natural systems, the fate of contaminants in the environment, and the origin, evolution, and evidence for life. Opportunities for the development of new technologies and the discovery of new chemical compounds utilized by microorganisms for specific functions have been, and will continue to be realized by encouraging research in these fields. Additionally, there are a number of critical tools and areas of expertise that are inherently valuable in working with microorganisms and their surroundings. Finding new and improved ways of bringing these multidisciplinary areas together represent another significant opportunity for advancing science and for training a new generation of scientists able to effectively work across these boundaries.