The first topic in our microbiology class is a "survey of the microbial world" where we are touching upon the vast diversity of microbial life on Earth. Earlier this month, a new type of extremophile was found dwelling in the depths of the ocean near a deep sea hydrothermal vent. As might be expected, this barophilic and hyperthermophilic organism is from the domain Archaea. Thermococcus onnurineus is of particular interest to scientists because it is the first organism found at these light-less underwater ecosystems that have the capability of growing using formate (HCOO-) as their sole "food" source (carbon and energy source). They are thought to live symbiotically with fermentive bacteria near hydrothermal vents.
The scientists first hypothesized that T. onnurineus was capable of growth on formate after having sequenced its genome and finding genes that were known to be involved with formate metabolism. They tested the hypothesis by growing the bug up in culture conditions providing formate as the only available carbon and energy source.
Discoveries of this nature provide more insight into ongoing development of technologies for biohydrogen production (renewable energy source).
For more information, see the original paper:
Formate-driven growth coupled with H2 production, Yun Jae Kim et al., Nature 467 , 352-355 (16 September 2010).
doi:10.1038/nature09375
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