DULIA-BIO - Bio Sciences in Deep Underground Laboratories

Session

Deep Underground Microbiology Research

20 Aug 2024, 13:30

Council Chamber (The Guildhall, York)

Conveners

Deep Underground Microbiology Research

• Charles Cockell (University of Edinburgh)

16. Tracking ancient and modern microbial life in salt and brines of Boulby Mine (N Yorkshire) or: What to look out for on Mars - (in-person)

Jens Holtvoeth

20/08/2024, 13:30

20-minute talk + 10-minute questions

Our study aims to produce a biogeochemical fingerprint of fossil and living microbial organisms in salt and brines of the mine at Boulby by analysing lipid biomarkers (alkyl lipids, GDGTs) and DNA. Outcomes are expected to contribute insights into late Permian hydrology and paleoecology, extremophile ecology and astrobiology. Biomarker distributions in...

17. Astrobiology in Subsurface Extreme Environments: Utilizing Brines and Minerals for Planetary Exploration - (remote)

Scott Perl

20/08/2024, 14:00

20-minute talk + 10-minute questions

The understanding of microbial life in extreme (salty) environments regarding survivability, ecology, and nutrients on Earth can be applied to Martian subsurface regolith and salt mineral features precipitated meters to km below the crust. The MINAR program at the Boulby Underground Laboratory has given rise to significant insights to 250 Gyr evaporite...

18. Biophysical and microbiological research at the deep underground low radiation background laboratory (DULB-4900) and tunnel of Baksan Neutrino Observatory - (remote)

Mikhail Zarubin

20/08/2024, 14:30

20-minute talk + 10-minute questions

Deep underground laboratories at physical research centers possess an outstanding potential for hosting biological experiments in fields of biophysics, radiobiology, astrobiology, microbiology and medicine. Molecular genetics group of DLNP JINR initiated cooperative studies in the deep underground low radiation background laboratory (DULB-4900) and...

31. How statistical physics limits microbial life under extreme conditions: foraging and motility

Laurence Wilson

20/08/2024, 15:00

20-minute talk + 10-minute questions

The ability of cells to move - their motility - is important across a very wide range of species from eukaryotes, bacteria and archaea. Although their motility structures (such as cilia and flagella) evolved from different precursor organelles, the physical laws that constrain their performance are the same. Archaea in the deep subsurface environment...