ArticleFrontiers in microbiology2025
Site-specific incubations reveal biofilm diversity and functional adaptations in deep, ancient desert aquifers.
Article in Frontiers in microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Two worlds beneath: Distinct microbial strategies of the rock-attached and planktonic subsurface biosphere.Microbiome · 2026Article
- Primary succession of microbial communities in an aquifer from the Covey Hill formation in Quebec, Canada.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Deep pristine aquifers are ecological hotspots with diverse microbial life, where microorganisms exist either attached (sessile) to solid substrates or suspended in groundwater (planktonic). Characterizing the attached microbial communities is of paramount importance, especially in the context of biofouling. However, obtaining samples of attached microbes that thrive under natural (undisturbed) conditions is challenging. Our study addresses this by retrieving sessile microbes on-site. We installed columns filled with site-specific rock cuttings at the wellhead, allowing fresh groundwater to flow continuously for approximately 60 days. We hypothesized that the attached microbial communities would differ structurally from planktonic microbes due to the aquifer's lithological and mineralogical composition. This study involved an exploratory examination of the microbial communities in different aquifers with distinct mineralogies, including quartzitic sandstone, calcareous, chert, and highly heterogeneous (clastic) aquifers in Israel's Negev Desert. Metagenomic analysis revealed both shared and distinct microbial communities among attached and planktonic forms in the various environments, likely shaped by the aquifers' physical, lithological, and mineralogical properties. A wealth of carbon-fixation pathways and energy-conservation strategies in the attached microbiome provide evidence for the potential productivity of these biofilms. We identified widespread genetic potential for biofilm formation (e.g., via pili, flagella, and extracellular polymeric substance production) and the interactome (e.g., quorum-sensing genes). Our assessment of these functions provides a genomic framework for groundwater management and biofouling treatment.
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