You are here:
Microbiological Impact on Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Biotic Processes in Natural CO2 Analogue
Citation:
AZADPOUR-KEELEY, A. AND M. Song. Microbiological Impact on Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Biotic Processes in Natural CO2 Analogue. Presented at Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, July 24 - 28, 2011.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation for the Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA (July 24-28, 2011)
Description:
Multiple ground-water based microbial community analyses including membrane lipids assays for phospholipid fatty acid and DNA analysis were performed from hydraulically isolated zones. DGGE results from DNA extracts from vertical profiling of the entire depth of aquifer sampled at every 30 cm indicated a fairly high diversity at both bacterial and archaeal16S levels. Sequencing from clone libraries were also used to further characterize the microbial dynamics. Along with the phylogenetic identification and relative abundance of the predominant species, the numbers of microbial groups detected from pore water samples were measured. Emphasis was placed on the amplification of archaeal and methanogen-specific genes as a biomarker for the presence of a significant methanogenic population which was correlated with alterations in concentrations of methane. The ongoing work will provide data on the response of aquifer microbes to redox changes that occur during engineering solutions for geologic carbon sequestration. The outcome of this project will be used to evaluate the viability of large scale carbon sequestration strategies and will aid in characterizing the physiology, genetic diversity, and response of aquifer microbial communities to CO2 injection and pH alterations, due to either natural or anthropogenic causes on aquifer resources.