Deep-Subsurface Pressure Stimulates Metabolic Plasticity in Shale-Colonizing Halanaerobium spp.
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Anne E. Booker [1] ; David W. Hoyt [2] ; Tea Meulia [1] ; Elizabeth Eder [2] ; Carrie D. Nicora [2] ; Samuel O. Purvine [2] ; Rebecca A. Daly [1] ; Joseph D. Moore [5] ; Kenneth Wunch [5] ; Susan M. Pfiffner [6] ; Mary S. Lipton [2] ; Paula J. Mouser [3] ; Kelly C. Wrighton [4] ; Michael J. Wilkins [4]
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[1] Ohio State University
Ohio State University
City of Columbus, Estados Unidos
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[2] Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Estados Unidos
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[3] University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
Town of Durham, Estados Unidos
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[4] Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Estados Unidos
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[5] e DowDuPont Industrial Biosciences, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
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[6] f Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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- Localización: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, ISSN 0099-2240, Vol. 85, Nº 12, 2019
- Idioma: inglés
- Enlaces
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Resumen
The hydraulic fracturing of deep-shale formations for hydrocarbon recovery accounts for approximately 60% of U.S. natural gas production. Microbial activity associated with this process is generally considered deleterious due to issues associated with sulfide production, microbially induced corrosion, and bioclogging in the subsurface. Here we demonstrate that a representative Halanaerobium species, frequently the dominant microbial taxon in hydraulically fractured shales, responds to pressures characteristic of the deep subsurface by shifting its metabolism to generate more corrosive organic acids and produce more polymeric substances that cause “clumping” of biomass. While the potential for increased corrosion of steel infrastructure and clogging of pores and fractures in the subsurface may significantly impact hydrocarbon recovery, these data also offer new insights for microbial control in these ecosystems.
