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18 -- Functional Complexity of Modern Stromatolites and Microbial Mats
THURSDAY, April 17, 2008: AFTERNOON
Brendan Burns
The University of New South Wales
Sydney, New South Wales, AU
Brett Neilan
The University of New South Wales
Sydney, New South Wales, AU
Description
One of the major challenges in science is to identify modern living systems that present unique opportunities to address fundamental questions in fields including microbial ecology, evolution, chemical biology, functional genomics, and biotechnology. Microbial mats and stromatolites represent such systems. Many important steps in evolution may have occurred within these microbial communities owing to the close proximity of diverse microorganisms and microniches. Understanding modern stromatolite and mat ecosystems is of fundamental importance if we hope to conclusively show that ancient formations were formed by biological means.To make any meaningful interpretations of the rock record, it is essential to know the metabolic capabilities of geologically significant microbes in these communities. Work in the last several years has detailed the microbial diversity of modern stromatolites, microbial mats, and microbialites. These studies indicated that these microbial communities support a range of metabolically and phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes. These findings have provided an excellent platform and logical framework for exploring functional characteristics of modern stromatolite and mat communities, a rational next step in the comprehensive investigation of these ancient ecosystems.
This session will bring together work from a variety of disciplines using extant stromatolites and microbial mats (lithifying and nonlithifying) as modern analogues for early life on Earth, as well as their potential to assist in the exploration of extant or extinct life outside Earth. This part of the conference aims to explore the most up-to-date findings in aspects of functional complexity in modern stromatolites/mats, as well as the application of modern tools in their study. This can include areas of biogeochemistry, geobiology, functional genomics, microbial evolution and adaptation, novel microbial physiologies, and natural product studies.
ORAL SESSION
3:15 18-03-O. Potential Geochemical Challenges on Bacterial Quorum Sensing in
Natural Microbial Mats [invited] A. Decho, P. Visscher, S. Norman, J. Ferry, L. Ferguson
3:30 18-19-O. The Rise of Complexity: Evidence from Cell Signaling Compounds for
Pavilion Lake Microbialites and Temperate Zone Microbial Community
Ecosystems C. Turse, D. Schulze-Makuch, D. Lim, B. Laval, L. Irwin
3:45 18-20-O. Biogeochemistry and Diversity of Open Marine Sstromatolites and
Hypersaline Lithifying Microbial Mats P. Visscher, L.K. Baumgartner, C. Dupraz,
O. Braissant, K.M. Przkop, J.F. Stolz, C. Glunk, J.R. Spear, D.H. Buckley, R.P. Reid,
R.S. Norman, A.W. Decho
4:00 18-05-O. Influence of the EPS Matrix on Microbialite Formation
C. Dupraz, O. Braissant, C. Glunk, A.W. Decho, P.T. Visscher
4:15 BREAK
4:30 18-07-O. Osmoadaptation Strategies of Halococcus Hamelinensis from a
Hypersaline Stromatolite Environment F. Goh, Y.J. Joung, K. Barrow, J. Dharmawan,
B.A. Neilan, B.P. Burns
4:45 18-01-O. Constraining the Metabolic and Isotopic Variability in Modern
Microbialite and Microbial Mat Communities in British Columbia, Canada
A. Brady, G. Slater, B. Laval, D. Lim
5:00 18-13-O. Kelly Lake Microbialites, Another Discovery in the Pavilion Lake Region
W. Pike, D. Lim, B. Laval, G. Slater, D. Reid, C.P. McKay
5:15 18-15-O. Random Motility Creates Reticulate Morphologies in Cyanobacterial
Biofilms, Leaving Phototaxis in the Dark R. Shepard, N. Stork, A. Oberstadt,
D. Armstrong, D. Sumner
POSTERS
18-02-P. Molecular Ecology of Freshwater Microbialite Structures in Pavilion Lake,
British Columbia in Canada O. Chan, S. Pointing, B. Laval, G. Slater, D. Lim
18-04-P. Effects of Environmental Variations on a Simulated Microbial Mat.
K. Decker,C. Potter
18-06-P. Evidence for Redundant Cyanobacterial Ecotypes in the Stromatolites of
Highborne Cay, Bahamas J. Foster, S.J. Green, K.L. Hetherington, R.P. Reid, L. Bebout
18-08-P. A Novel Microbial Mat Developing in Ophiolite-hosted Moderately Alkaline
Springwater S. Green, D.F. Blake, J.G. Blank
18-09-P. Stromatolites and Halophilic Archaea: Useful Alliance or Opportunism?
S. Leuko, B.P. Burns, M.R. Walter, B.A. Neilan
18-10-P. Environmental Transcriptome of Leptospirillum Ferrooxidans in Natural
Bacterial Mats M. Moreno-Paz, M. Gómez-Rodríguez, E. González-Toril, V. Parro
18-11-P. An Evaluation of Microbial Communities, Metabolisms, and Community
Interactions in Modern Thrombolites in Highborne Cay, Exumas, Bahamas
K. Myshrall, K.M. Przekop, R P. Reid, P.T. Visscher, R.S. Norman, J.S. Foster, J.B. Thompson,
A.M. Bush
18-12-P. Patterns of Motility and Morphogenesis in Filamentous Cyanobacterial Biofilms
A. Oberstadt, D. Armstrong, N. Stork, R. Shepard, D. Sumner
18-14-P. On the UV Resistance of Halococcus hamelinensis, aNovel Archaeon Isolated
from Stromatolites D. Rogoff, S. Leuko, B. Burns, M.R. Walter, B.A. Neilan, L.J. Rothschild
18-16-P. CaCO3 Precipitation in Freshwater Laboratory Biofilms Dominated by Oscillatoria
sp. N. Stork, R. Shepard, D. Sumner
18-17-P. Microbial Diversity in Icelandic Hot Springs D. Tobler, L. Benning
18-18-P. Phylogenetic Analysis of Microbial Communities from Gypsum Precipitating
Environments K. Turk, S. Green, L. Jahnke, M. Kubo, M.N. Parenteau, M. Vogel,
D. Des Marais