Microbial Ecology

Microbial communities in the deep subsurface

In the deep subsurface, microbial communities are subjected to extremely difficult conditions, such as little or no availability of water, organic and inorganic compounds, and nutrients.

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We study the diversity and metabolisms of underground water and rock communities belonging to the deep biosphere. We are working on hypersaline aquifers from the Bécancour and Gaspésie region in Quebec (600 m to 3 km deep), and unsalted aquifers from the Thuringia region in Germany (up to 900 m deep).

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Projects led by  Jean-Christophe Gagnon and Julia Meyer

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Collaboration: Prof. Kai-Uwe Totsche  (FSU, Germany )

                       Derena Geosciences  (consulting firm)

                       Utica Resources (oil exploration)